What are offshore wind turbines?

Offshore wind turbines are big machines that make electricity from wind out at sea.

Imagine you're playing on a swing. When you pump your legs, you go higher and higher, that’s like the wind pushing against the blades of a wind turbine. Out at sea, these blades spin really fast when the wind blows. The spinning makes a generator inside the turbine turn, which creates electricity, just like how your toy car uses batteries to move.

These turbines are built on platforms that float or stand on the seafloor, kind of like how you build a treehouse on pillars in your backyard. The platforms hold up the tall poles and blades so they can spin freely, even when waves crash around them.

The wind is often stronger and more consistent out at sea than it is near the shore. That means the turbines can make more electricity all day long, just like how you can run faster on a smooth track than on a bumpy one.