ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Windmills off the East Coast could generate enough electricity to replace most, if not all, of the coal-fired power plants in the U.S., Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said Monday.
But those numbers were challenged as “overly optimistic” by a coal-industry group.
Salazar spoke at a hearing in Atlantic City on how offshore areas can meet energy needs.
Wind energy “is not technology that is pie- in-the sky; it is here and now,” he said.
And offshore energy production might not be limited to wind power, Salazar said. A moratorium on offshore oil drilling has expired. President Barack Obama and Congress must decide whether to allow drilling off the East Coast.
Salazar could not estimate how many wind turbines might be needed to generate 1 million megawatts of power, saying it would depend on their size and location. The Associated Press
