But the first waves of marine wind farms are being built in shallower water, nearer consumers, to the east of England and in the Irish Sea.
While England has the world's largest marine wind farm in Thanet, Scotland has, when I last looked, a modest Solway Firth array and a trial turbine in the Moray Firth.
Having such an advantage in wind and marine renewables, Scotland ought to be able to help others hit their targets, at times when Scotland is producing more than it needs.
The other factor, as I've written before, is that Scotland can only sell its wind and marine power, for all those subsidies from customers in foreign countries, if those technologies remain competitive.
Angus Campbell said questions needed to be asked about the costs and time scale of the link, which would allow electricity generated by island wind and marine renewables to be transmitted to the mainland.
Deputy Brouard added that an agreement on access to the sea bed would need to be carried out with the Crown before Guernsey could build wind or marine turbines, but he said solar power had considerable potential.
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It would allow electricity generated by wind farms and marine energy schemes that was surplus to the islands' needs to be exported to the mainland.
But marine energy will not be competitive with wind for many years, and it is hard to see why, having missed the opportunity to build wind turbines, Britain's factory-owners will be more adroit when it comes to ocean power.
But with resistance to wind subsidies growing, backers of marine energy now have their work cut out to prove that such largesse is justified.
The Nationalist devolved Scottish government thinks that if Scottish companies can establish a lead in marine energy, much as Denmark did in wind power, it could be a big job and wealth creator for the country.
Governor Patrick is positioning us to be a global leader in offshore wind with the investment in the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal.
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Plans to build the world's largest offshore wind project in the Outer Moray Firth have been submitted to Marine Scotland.
The diligence and expertise of officials in Marine Scotland, among the statutory consultees and other interests should give confidence to the offshore wind industry and its supply chain that planning matters should not be a barrier to investment in Scotland.
There is more hope for offshore wind, which is technically trickier, since North Sea oil has left a legacy of marine-engineering expertise in Britain.
In July 2006 General Richard Zilmer, the marine general then in charge of American forces in western Iraq, sent out an urgent request for solar panels, wind turbines and other devices to reduce the need for liquid fuels.
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