ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses planning which is an essential component when expanding renewable energy facilities to reach economic, environmental, and security policy goals. There are clear criteria, such as the optimal location for wind, solar, and geothermal facilities, there are other less obvious factors that should be considered. The RenewElec project has examined three areas in which the strategies used to plan renewable energy plant expansions might be improved: offshore wind turbines and hurricanes, pollution reduction, and facility siting. Some of the highest wind speeds in the United States are offshore, but currently the United States has no offshore wind plants. The US Department of Energy has estimated that more than 50 GW of offshore wind energy will be needed if the United States is to achieve a 20" renewable energy level. Typhoons have caused wind turbines to buckle in Japan and China; hurricanes are likely to occasionally pose a similar risk.
