What's equal to 3,000 medium sized coal plants?

The East Coast's offshore wind potential. At least that's what Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar told an audience at a public forum on developing our nation's offshore energy resources.

The Washington Post reports, "Salazar said ocean winds along the East Coast can generate 1 million megawatts of power, roughly the equivalent of 3,000 medium-sized coal-fired power plants, or nearly five times the number of coal plants now operating in the United States, according to the Energy Department."

Earlier this month, Secretary Salazar told the 25 x '25 "America's Energy Future" conference: "More than three-fourths of the nation's electricity demand comes from coastal states and the wind potential off the coasts of the lower 48 states actually exceeds our entire U.S. electricity demand.

Instead of building another coal plant, we should focus on the opportunities to develop our renewable energy resources, like offshore wind, and prepare our energy infrastructure for the 21st Century.