---- Windenergieanlagen whirl Strom an einem Offshore-windpark von China Huaneng Gruppe in Jinshan Grafschaft zu generieren, Wenchang City, South China Hai
--FILE--Wind turbines whirl to generate electricity at an offshore wind farm of China Huaneng Group in Jinshan county, Wenchang city, south Chinas Hainan province, 8 July 2014. China is three years behind schedule on a plan that would make it the worlds biggest market for offshore wind, a setback for the $15 billion industry that is seeking to produce affordable electricity from the one of natures most reliable energy sources. China set out an ambitious plan in 2011 to build 5, 000 megawatts of offshore wind turbines in four years, enough to power 5.4 million homes. With less than 10 percent of that capacity in place, officials now say they will not meet that goal. Strong, steady offshore breezes have the potential to become an important source of electricity, but installing jumbo-jet sized gear in the harsh, marine environment is a complicated and expensive endeavor.
