Last Thursday, Walney Farm, an installation of over 100 wind turbines, began operations off the coast of Cumbria in the United Kingdom. As the world’s largest offshore wind farm, it will produce enough electricity to power approximately 320,000 homes. CleanTechnica notes that the project is the “fastest-built and cheapest offshore wind farm in place today.”

The news comes as the U.S. Department of Interior officials announced last week that mid-Atlantic offshore wind development will have no major impact on the environment. Proposals for projects off the coast of Maryland will soon be accepted, and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar pledged that leases would be issued by year’s end. Supporters of Maryland offshore wind created a video (below) highlighting the multiple benefits of offshore wind, including job creation, more stable energy prices, and reduced air pollution, associated asthma attacks, and deaths..

Currently, the United States is well behind European efforts to develop offshore wind, even though it has several advantages over its onshore counterpart, namely, stronger and steadier wind. However, the challenges of building and maintaining structures in water, particularly deep water, make offshore wind more expensive, though costs are expected to decline over time with experience, technology improvements, and broader deployment.

Last Thursday, Walney Farm, an installation of over 100 wind turbines, began operations off the coast of Cumbria in the United Kingdom.