Yes, abandoned platforms. There are plenty in the near-shore environment. You can see them from the northern Texas coast to Mobile Bay. And the winds along shores almost never stop blowing.

You're right about MMS and maritime law governing the far offshore environment.

I am curious how the owners propose to transmit power from offshore -- undersea transmission lines? I can hardly imagine the inductive loss that would generate. Also, imagine what the electrical field would do to deep sea fish -- which use electrical fields to hunt prey and avoid predators. I know nothing, just speculating.

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2006/wind.html
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/15.02/wind.html (article mentions my local boy)

We're hijacking this sucker!