MOVING TOWARD OFFSHORE WIND POWER: “The Interior Department, the agency that handles oil-and-gas leases in U.S. waters, is preparing to lease swaths of the outer continental shelf to companies that want to erect massive wind turbines. With the public-comment period for the proposal scheduled to end Monday, competition is heating up to develop wind projects on the shelf, the same underwater formation largely covered by an oil-drilling ban that has become a contentious issue in the presidential race. The federal program signals the start of a broad push to develop offshore wind energy in the U.S. The country often is dubbed by renewable-energy experts as ‘the Saudi Arabia of wind’ because of its vast, windy expanses, particularly in the Western plains. Now, rising interest in renewable energy is spurring exploration of the ocean.”

Two thoughts. First, nobody tell Ted Kennedy! Second, this is probably also a stealth way to advance oil drilling — once there are lots of offshore wind turbines, who’ll complain about a few oil rigs mixed in among them? Seems like a good idea, though.

UPDATE: Reader James Egan emails: “Why not put the wind turbines ON TOP of the off shore oil rigs : )” Good idea!