Factbox: Wind power potential off the U.S. East Coast

(Reuters) - The U.S. East Coast could generate enough electricity from offshore wind installations to meet almost half its current demand, according to a study released by conservation group Oceana on Monday.

The study found that North and South Carolina offer the largest potential economically recoverable wind resources. The study's authors excluded the New England states of Maine and New Hampshire, which also have windy coasts, from their calculations due the depth of the waters near shore.

Below is a list of the 13 U.S. East Coast states and Oceana's estimate of their economically recoverable offshore wind power, in megawatts:

STATE POWER IN MW

North Carolina 37,900

South Carolina 19,200

New Jersey 16,000

Virginia 16,000

Masssachusetts 13,800

Florida 10,300

New York 4,730

Maryland 4,680

Delaware 2,850

Georgia 1,190

Rhode Island 739

Maine 38,900

New Hampshire 1,230

Source: Oceana

(Reporting by Scott Malone)