Energy prices are increasing in densely populated areas across the country. With these increases, some communities are looking towards cheap, renewable energy options such as wind energy — more specifically, offshore wind turbines.

Aileen Kenney, vice president of permitting and environmental affairs at Deepwater Wind, an American offshore wind company, spoke to a handful of students Monday evening about her company’s endeavors to reduce U.S. dependence on conventional fuel sources.

“Currently, there are no offshore turbines in the United States,” Kenney said. “It’s a global industry, and we’re pretty far behind.”

Swaths of Europe have been developed for offshore wind energy, but there is no federal mandate regulating renewable energy in the United States, which Kenney said is an underlying problem to the lack of development of offshore wind energy in America.

“What is it, if it’s not enforced?” Kenney said.

Deepwater Wind is in the midst of bringing offshore wind energy to Block Island, 13 miles off the coast of Rhode Island.

The initial plan was proposed nearly a year ago, and Deepwater Wind plans on laying the foundations for the turbines this coming summer. It plans for the energy system to be fully functional by the fall of 2016.

“Obviously these are not quick processes,” Kenney said. “We need to have more incentives across the board to really speed things up.”

The proposed plan would bring enough energy to support more than 17,000 Rhode Island households for up to 25 years.

“In order for the project to be economically viable, we need to last for at least 20 years,” Kenney said.

Prior to any actual development, Deepwater Wind went through extensive research and surveying of the water, the underlying land and the people it would affect. All of this research was undertaken just to fill out permits for the project.

“Our permit application is as tall as I am,” Kenney said. “It is 5 feet 3 inches, and therefore, we are very thankful for the search function.”

Everyone that was involved in the process was supportive, Kenney said, and connections were made between previous people and organizations who used to disagree on energy across the board.

“The head of the Rhode Island Union said it was the first time he could speak right after the Sierra Club and agree with them,” Kenney said.

Students in attendance came for a range of reasons. Most had at least a passing interest in environmental studies.

"I am an environmental studies major, so I looked at this as a way to learn more about research and look at a career option,” said junior Mackenzie Conley. “I learned a lot about wing energy that I hadn’t known prior to this presentation.”

Although this is only the first offshore wind farm in the United States, there are other areas slated for wind turbines off the upper East Coast, as well as off the shores of North Carolina.

“They’ll make an investment when it makes sense financially,” Kenney said.