Google Joins U.S. Offshore Wind Power Project

Google is investing in an ambitious multi-billion dollar wind power project. It may be the first offshore wind farm on the U.S. East Coast. Google Inc has thrown its financial clout behind an ambitious five billion US dollars proposed electric transmission line. It is intended to spark investment in new wind farms off the heavily populated U.S. East Coast. [Rick Needham, Business Operations Director, Google]: "Instead of multiple piecemeal connections, this will serve as a superhighway, with on-ramps for wind farms and the ability to be intelligently expanded." Google described its initial 37.5 percent stake in the project as "early stage," leaving open the possibility other investors or lenders would be brought in to finance the actual construction. [Rick Needham, Business Operations Director, Google]: "While this project does have great potential, it is also early stage, but we're willing to take calculated risks on large-scale projects that can move an industry. Indeed, that's what has made our company so successful to date." Japan's Marubeni Corp and New York investment firm Good Energies are also going to invest in the project. Currently, there are no offshore wind farms in the U.S. The proposed cable would be installed under the seabed, 15 miles to 20 miles offshore. That would make turbines all but invisible from the coast and head off concerns the turbines could mar the views from the tourist-dependent Cape Cod region of Massachusetts.