Overview

This map shows modeled wind and tidal current speeds. It can be used to identify general areas that may be suitable for offshore renewable energy development based on resource availability. Adjusting the interactive slider bar (see Legend box) highlights areas of interest according to magnitude of wind or current speed.

Data Considerations

The wind speed dataset is from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and depicts average annual wind speed in meters/second at a height of 90 meters. Wind speed estimates are a combination of several data sources. The tidal layer represents a sample of modeled maximum tidal currents speed in meters/second for January 2009. Tidal data were processed from the Unstructured Finite Volume Coastal Ocean Model (FVCOM) based at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.

Status

Additional FVCOM data that cover a longer time period will be added to the tidal currents map as the data become available.

Support for Regional Ocean Planning

For information about how these data and maps are being developed with stakeholder input and used to support regional ocean planning, please visit the energy page on the Northeast Regional Planning Body’s website.