Tag Archives: offshore wind farms
Bam! Scientists study wind farm construction noise impacts on lobsters… by making big noises
Thirteen feet below the surface of Woods Hole harbor, a lobster shelters under a plastic shield in a wire cage. An experiment is happening: every seven seconds on the dock above, a pile driver pounds a long, steel post deeper into the muddy harbor bottom nearby. The experiment happening here at this dock is designed to replicate, at small scale, the pile driving necessary to construct an offshore wind farm. The goal is to understand how a variety of marine creatures, not only lobsters, but other fish-market-friendly species like scallops, flounder, black sea bass, and squid respond to the noisy, intensive work of building an offshore wind farm. It’s something fishers and regulators are especially interested in. Already, the WHOI team’s earlier studies have shown that squid, which detect sound through vibration, responded dramatically to pile-driving noise — at least, at first. But it’s a different story for scallops, one of the highest value fisheries in the U.S. As soon as scallops were exposed to pile driving noise, they clammed up. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:59
Suggested areas for offshore wind around N.S. swell in size
Offshore areas around Nova Scotia recommended for wind energy projects have ballooned in size in the latest version of a report for government, troubling some in the fishing industry who are bracing for disruptions. The draft final report comes from the regional assessment committee, which was tasked by the province and Ottawa two years ago to investigate the potential impacts of offshore wind development on Nova Scotia. It describes eight potential development areas that cover a total of 31,200 square kilometres. The areas stretch from the tip of George’s Bank southwest of Nova Scotia, up the Atlantic coastline and around Cape Breton Island. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:14
Expensive Offshore Wind in Jeopardy in a Trump Administration
Offshore wind is much more expensive than onshore wind with costs to build at 4.5 times the cost of natural gas generation and operational costs at 2.3 times. President-elect Trump recognizes offshore wind’s high costs and limited utility and is likely to end its massive subsidies promulgated by the Biden-Harris Administration. Immediate actions available include revoking Biden’s executive order that paved the way for higher cost, less reliable electricity. Biden-Harris officials have heaped subsidies upon offshore wind through the Inflation Reduction Act and cut corners on regulations to expedite the technology. Offshore wind has had recent catastrophic failures including broken blades that have closed beaches in a tourist town and imperiled fishermen. Biden’s Executive Order 14008 issued on February 1, 2020–only two weeks after his Inauguration– launched the offshore wind program in the United States. This is an executive order that President-Elect Trump could easily rescind on his first day in office by just issuing a counter-executive order, which would stop the onslaught of this very expensive energy being added to the U.S. grid. Another way is to remove the excessive tax credits that encourage its adoption, which would take new legislation and add time to the process. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 18:47
Will Trump’s win end Morro Bay offshore wind energy projects?
President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to end offshore wind energy projects his first day in office, a promise opponents of the proposed Morro Bay offshore wind farms hope he fulfills. Trump ran on lowering housing and energy costs. During his campaign speeches, he described offshore wind energy as “the most expensive energy there is.” He noted environmental concerns such as whale and bird deaths. In Dec. 2022, an auction for three offshore wind energy sites located off the coast near Morro Bay netted over $400 million to the federal government. The plan is to have the wind turbines float in the ocean more than 20 miles off the coast, with the electricity sent ashore via cables along the ocean floor. While the majority of San Luis Obispo County residents initially supported the “green energy” project, sentiments changed as information regarding plans to industrialize Port San Luis near Avila Beach and portions of the Morro Bay waterfront spread through the community. more, >>CLICKTO READ<< 09:55
Supporters, Opponents of Offshore Wind Both Look for Hopeful Signs in Trump Administration
On the day after the elections last week, and even before, the airwaves were crammed with speculation about how this, that, and the other sectors of American life and the economy would fare under a Trump administration. The chatter included the future of offshore wind, which was born in the United States in 2016 off the coast of Block Island and continues to generate heavy support and heavy opposition. President-elect Donald Trump has expressed hostility toward offshore wind and has said he would put an end to the industry “on day one” of his administration. Trump-supporting Republicans have vowed to put an end to President Joe Biden’s 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, including tax credits for big projects such as offshore wind. A large share of the IRA’s $891 billion price tag is targeted toward renewable energy and related technologies. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:53
GOP Lawmakers, Fishermen Urge Trump to Keep Promise to Axe Offshore Wind
Trump’s return to the Oval Office may deal the problem-riddled offshore wind industry another blow if his administration follows through on his pledge to scrap federal support for offshore wind projects during his second term. Republican lawmakers, opposed to heavily subsidized green energy, and commercial fishermen, who view the industry as an existential threat to their livelihoods, are calling on the president-elect to follow through on his campaign’s promise, which could imply ending federal subsidies and lease sales for the industry. “The incoming administration has an historic opportunity to save American workers from foreign developers, reinvigorate iconic coastal towns, and improve America’s food security,” NEFSA CEO Jerry Leeman said in a press release following Trump’s election win. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:54
Bottom Trawl Survey of the Maine Research Array Wind Energy Area Re-Scheduled for January 13, 2025 – March 1, 2025
This notice is to inform you that the bottom trawl survey of the Maine Research Array Wind Energy (MeRA) Area, previously scheduled to begin on October 15, 2024, has been re-scheduled to take place between January 13, 2025 and March 1, 2025.This is a potential sampling window; the survey will be conducted during 7-10 days within this timeframe. The exact dates will be weather dependent. Operations will be conducted during daylight hours. The F/V Northern Lights (55’ trawler) will transit from Portland to the sampling area. The crew will conduct approximately 37 tows over 7-10 days of sampling. Tows will be 20 minutes and conducted at a speed of 2.5 knots. Links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:12
Trump has vowed to kill US offshore wind projects. Will he succeed?
Opponents of offshore wind energy projects expect President-elect Donald Trump to kill an industry he has vowed to end on the first day he returns to the White House. “I believe this is a tipping point for the offshore wind industry in America,” said Robin Shaffer, president of Protect Our Coast NJ, one of the most vocal groups opposing offshore wind on the East Coast. “They have been given a glidepath by Democrat-run administrations at the federal and state level for many years. For this industry, (Tuesday’s) results will bring headwinds far greater than they have faced previously.” Commercial fishermen in Maine said they hope the Trump administration will undo policies designed to help build and approve offshore wind projects, saying regulators attempted to “future-proof” the industry against political change. Jerry Leeman, CEO of the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association, called on Trump to reverse a commitment to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:37
Fishermen celebrate Trump: ‘Government has crucified this industry’
He didn’t win New Bedford, where Vice President Kamala Harris held a margin of 2,688 votes. But the city’s fishermen have dug in with their support for the president-elect. Fishermen on the New Bedford waterfront met the news of a second Trump term with vengeful enthusiasm on Wednesday morning. There was hope that the president-elect would scale back regulation, stop offshore wind development and open new fishing grounds, breaking the slump of declining revenues and ushering in a period of relative prosperity for the industry. “The government has crucified this industry,” said Ryan Turner, 47, who on Wednesday morning was preparing to leave on a scallop trip. He said this election was the first in which he had ever cast his vote. Between Harris and Trump, he said, “I didn’t like either one. I voted because we needed someone in office who is going to get rid of these windmills.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 18:17
Sweden says no to 13 offshore wind farms
The sea-based wind power makes it more difficult to defend Sweden, says the Swedish Armed Forces. Now the government is stopping 13 planned parks in large parts of the Baltic Sea. On Monday, the government decided on 14 wind farms. Only one gets the go-ahead, while 13 planned parks will not get permission to build. The parks in the Baltic Sea, which were supposed to be located outside Åland in the north along the entire east coast down to the Sound, are now rejected. The government believes that it would lead to unacceptable consequences for Sweden’s defense to build the current projects in the Baltic Sea area, says Defense Minister Pål Jonson (M) at a press meeting with Climate and Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari (L) and Energy and Industry Minister Ebba Busch (KD). more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:54
Four offshore wind-power sites in Gulf of Maine auctioned for $22M
Two energy companies have won leases for 327,096 acres of federal waters off Maine and Massachusetts and hope to install floating wind-power turbines there. On Tuesday, four of eight available lease areas were sold to provisional winners in an auction by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. The sales resulted in winning bids of over $21.9 million. The leases include commitments to workforce training and building a domestic supply chain, which would include an offshore wind port and supply chain facilities, according to a separate news release. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:56
Could offshore wind plan hurt scallop fishermen? New Bedford official has ‘grave concerns’
New Bedford Port Authority Executive Director Gordon Carr has “grave concern” for the scallop fishing industry in the face of a potential new call area to be leased out to offshore wind projects. The 13,476,805-acre area off of New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina, dubbed the “Central Atlantic 2” call area, encompasses a large portion of key scalloping grounds, Carr wrote. Scalloper Keith Uzzell, who’s fished out of New Bedford and Fairhaven for 16 years, says he and others that frequent fishing grounds around the northeast started noticing “more survey boats, more offshore wind vessel activity” around the same time they noticed an uptick in things like dead whale sightings and empty scallop shells. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:46
Why are we so fixated on offshore wind?
As we await the finalization of Gov. Maura Healey’s new offshore wind contracts, the Massachusetts Interagency Offshore Wind Council has requested public comments on these plans to implement offshore wind in Massachusetts. Many residents, especially from Cape Cod, have registered strong opposition. Eco-Nuclear Solutions is concerned that the reliance on offshore wind will deprive the Commonwealth of more reliable, affordable, and ecologically acceptable sources of electricity. There are also still many unanswered questions about offshore wind. Construction costs have massively increased, and we seem captured by this one technology. Why aren’t we assessing other energy solutions? When will we know the total costs, including transmission and delivery, of offshore wind and the total amount of subsidies? more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:48
New Federal Report: Offshore Wind Farm Construction Can Harm Whales, Birds, Fisheries
The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on Monday released a new report that said whales, dolphins, birds and more can indeed be harmed — and killed —by offshore wind farms. BOEM also warned commercial fishing could be disrupted by wind farms. The report is an environmental impact statement BOEM was required to conduct of these six existing wind farm sites that were previously approved off New Jersey/Long Island. Wind turbine construction actually does increase the risk of injury to whales, particularly the underwater noise from pile-driving during construction, the federal report found. Turbine construction can permanently damage whales’ hearing. Turbines can also lead to an “increased risk of individual injury and mortality due to vessel strikes” and entanglement in fishing gear. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:36
New Bedford Port Authority Expresses “Grave Concerns” Over BOEM’s Proposed Central Atlantic Offshore Wind Development Area
The New Bedford Port Authority (NBPA) has submitted a formal response to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) regarding the recently proposed Central Atlantic 2 Call Area (Docket No. BOEM-2024-0040), raising significant concerns about its potential impact on the commercial fishing industry. As the nation’s most profitable fishing port and home to the first large-scale offshore wind marshaling port, New Bedford is deeply invested in both renewable energy development and the preservation of vital fishing grounds. “BOEM has painted with too broad a brush. As the port where the fishing and offshore wind industry intersect more than anywhere else, New Bedford is committed to the successful coexistence of both industries. We believe that the new Mid-Atlantic call areas must be cut back from existing scallop and other fishery access areas, which still would leave ample room for nearby states to achieve their offshore wind capacity goals,” said New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:39
Scalloper who was asked to take down anti-wind flag: ‘It’s wrong in so many ways’
State and federal politicians lined up along the New Bedford waterfront last week to unveil a new terminal slated for offshore wind. From the Environmental Protection Agency’s regional director to Senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren, each took turns touting the port’s growing role in the nation’s green energy transition. But the speeches were punctuated by a plume of smoke rising from out in the harbor. It was coming from a New Bedford scallop vessel experiencing engine troubles. The captain, who says he was unaware of the ceremony, docked at the terminal to fix the engine. The vessel, the F/V Prowess, was flying a white flag with a red circle and slash cutting through a turbine; a symbol many fishing boats hoist to demonstrate resistance to offshore wind development and its impact on the fishing industry. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:04
What Jersey Shore fishermen can learn from offshore wind farm spinning off Long Island
Only the silent hum of the ferry as it curved around the side of one of a dozen towering wind turbines could be heard Wednesday morning off Long Island. Nearby, fishing vessels were dwarfed by the 460-foot tall towers. A few boats flecked the horizon, traveling between the vast miles that stretched from Block Island to the South Fork wind farm. One of them was helmed by a local fisherman who’s been on these waters for over half a century. Nonetheless, Auteri and fishermen up and down the East Coast, including the Jersey Shore, have shared concerns over whether species they rely on will continue to frequent the areas where sweeping wind farms (taller than the Statue of Liberty) are sited or will be. And, they say, if it is proven wind farms drive fish away they should get money to make up for their economic loss. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:52
Central Coast fishermen sue California Coastal Commission over wind energy
Fishermen from Morro Bay and Port San Luis recently filed a legal challenge against the California Coastal Commission for not requiring wind energy companies to abide by Bureau of Ocean Energy Management rules before providing permits for sonar testing, the second lawsuit the groups have filed against the commission. In 2022, the federal government auctioned off three offshore wind energy sites located between 20 and 30 miles off the coast near Morro Bay. Then in Dec. 2023, the state issued a permit allowing survey work to begin. The fisherman organisation’s latest lawsuit, filed on Sept. 6, argues that the Coastal Commission required the wind energy companies, including Equinor, to “have an independent liaison that is responsible for the coordination and communication of site activities with affected commercial and recreational fishing communities and harbor districts.” The fishing liaison is required to work with fishing communities and the harbor districts to coordinate survey and other activities. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 18:18
On US coast, wind power foes embrace ‘Save the Whales’ argument
Whether from real concern for marine animals or doubts about renewable energy, the anti-wind power movement has been growing along the US East Coast, with some trying to blame a surge in whale strandings on the growth of offshore energy projects. Their attempt to link the two seems to be resonating, despite what scientists say is a clear lack of evidence. When Lauren Brandkamp and her team from the nonprofit Whale and Dolphin Conservation organization in Massachusetts carry out a rescue on an area beach, one of the first questions bystanders ask is: “Was this wind?” Wind power critics have organized coastal town gatherings, posted “Save the Whales” signs and filed lawsuits in a bid to bury new wind projects under crushing litigation fees. A recent surge in whale strandings or deaths has given them added ammunition. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:41
Did New Bedford police tell a fisherman to take down his ‘anti-windmill’ flag?
According to local scalloper Russell Isabel, captain of the F/V Prowess, the Prowess started showing signs of an engine problem in the area of the New Bedford-Fairhaven Bridge on Tuesday, leading to a decision to dock nearby at New Bedford’s North Terminal. The fact that his vessel was displaying an “anti-windmill” flag at the time was purely coincidental, Isabel says. “I didn’t know anything about a ribbon-cutting meeting going on or any of that,” Isabel said, noting he also had no knowledge of the protest going on just outside of the event near the street. As the crew docked, authorities noticed the flag flying off the stern of F/V Prowess, leading to a verbal conflict with NBPD members, Isabel said. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:50
NEFSA Petition Urging Janet Mills to Halt Development of Offshore Wind in Gulf of Maine Receives Over 2,500 Signatures
The New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association (NEFSA) will be sending Gov. Janet Mills a petition with over 2,500 signatures urging her to halt the development of offshore wind farms in the Gulf of Maine, according to a source close to the matter. NEFSA is a bipartisan nonprofit organization dedicated to helping save the region’s commercial fishing industry and preserving it for future generations. Signatories on the petition include commercial fishermen, as well as residents of New England maritime communities. In a copy of the petition’s letter obtained by the Maine Wire, NEFSA CEO Jerry Leeman urged Gov. Mills to follow in the footsteps of Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek (D) by asking the Bureau of Ocean Management (BOEM) to halt its efforts to lease property off the coast. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:52
Offshore wind’s bogus benefits bragged on
Resources for the Future (RFF) has produced a combined cost benefit analysis for 32 U.S. offshore wind projects now in development. They proudly point to the benefits outweighing the costs by a whopping 14 times. But these supposed benefits are not just exaggerated; they are fabricated. They simply do not exist. Their lengthy title is “Offshore Wind Power Examined: Effects, Benefits, and Costs of Offshore Wind Farms along the US Atlantic and Gulf Coasts”. The analysis is fairly simple which makes it easy to see the fallacies. There are just four basic benefit claims. And of course it is all based on highly questionable modeling. Before looking at each of these benefit claims it is worth noting a pervasive misconception. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:18
Swinney gives commitment to ensure that fishing and offshore wind can co-exist
First minister John Swinney has given a commitment to ensuring the fishing industry and the offshore marine energy sector can exist together. It followed a stark warning by Elspeth Macdonald, the chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, that floating wind farms and the fishing sector are “simply not able to co-exist”. Speaking at last week’s SFF dinner, Macdonald call on the government to actively protect the fishing industry from the encroaching offshore wind industry. One example quoted by the industry is the proposed 500MW Stoura wind farm, 40 miles to east of Shetland, which could be built on top of prime fishing grounds for both the whitefish and the pelagic sector. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:47
Second Minke Whale Found Dead Off Jersey Coast Days Since Offshore Wind Survey Ship Returned
A small minke whale was found dead early Friday morning near Trenton Avenue in Lavallette, according to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center (MMSC). The whale, measuring between 10 and 12 feet, was reported to the MMSC around 6:30 a.m. The organization confirmed that this whale is different from the one sighted in the Lower Bay/Raritan Bay area on Thursday. Yesterday, a dead minke whale was found off the shoreline in Raritan Bay. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the research vessel Time and Tide has been conducting survey operations in a corridor off Manasquan Inlet since September 29. That testing will continue through November 16. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:25
‘Maine Labor Climate Council’ Pushing Offshore Wind is Front Group for Dark Money Progressive Activist Org
The Maine Labor Climate Council, a purported coalition of labor unions pushing for offshore wind development in the Gulf of Maine, is actually a front organization of the Maine People’s Alliance, a progressive activist and lobbying organization, records show. According to a filing with the Maine Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions, the nonprofit Maine People’s Alliance has registered to operate under the “assumed” name of the Maine Labor Climate Council. The Maine People’s Alliance network has received millions of dollars in funding from the progressive dark-money network run by the Washington, D.C.-based company Arabella Advisors. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:49
Anderson: Offshore wind risks outweigh exaggerated rewards
A recently published article referencing the upcoming sale/lease of 827,000 acres of area in the Gulf of Maine to developers for offshore wind turbines should not be passed over lightly. This sale/lease event will take place on Oct. 29, 2024, in a process where developers will bid on eight sites within the 827,000 acres. The article further reported on state Sen. David Watters’ involvement and advocacy for this development as a panacea for our energy needs. Truth be told, this is not as accurate as it appears as offshore wind poses more of an environmental threat than remedy when one investigates the details. The fishing industry coastwide has expressed their legitimate concerns on a variety of issues, and more and more of the general public is now expressing their skepticism, as they should. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:33
2 Delaware watermen sue to delay US Wind turbine project off Ocean City coast
The Caesar Rodney Institute filed the lawsuit against the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control on the watermen’s behalf, focusing on a technicality that U.S. Wind did not complete an application that would allow the company to bring transmission lines ashore to Delaware and build a power substation next to the Indian River Powerplant. The lawsuit asks the Sussex County Superior Court to declare that the agency can’t grant a permit because the application is incomplete. The application for a beach construction permit requires a report from the Division of Watershed Stewardship, as well as zoning approvals, which have not been done. “Law and the regulations they adopted require that approval for the zoning required as part of the project be done before the permits are granted, and, in fact, it’s a mandatory component of the application itself,” attorney Jane Brady said. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:33
Nova Scotia: GCIFA wants fewer sites considered for offshore wind
Concerned about the effects of massive turbine installations and operations on or near commercial fishing grounds, the Guysborough County Inshore Fisherman’s Association (GCIFA) wants two of the six sites being considered for offshore wind (OSW) farms in Nova Scotia removed from the list of potential future development areas (PFDAs). We request [that these PFDAs] be deleted from further consideration. “The Canso-based organization – representing roughly 150 small-boat harvesters on the Eastern Shore – also raises issues over use of the Middle Bank PFDA and the combined size of the areas under consideration and suggests that all OSW farms be located around Sable Island, where there are “very low [existing] commercial landings,” and they can do the least harm to harvesters. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:59
Maine Unions Lead on the Green Energy Transition
Maine’s fifteen years long OSW policy debates have been hobbled by entrenched opposition from Maine’s lobstermen. It would also be impossible to convince politicians to pass an OSW law that was oblivious to the interests of Maine’s lobstermen. Governor Mills and her team reached out to Maine Lobstermen’s Association (MLA), but they did not break through the impasse. The MLA continues to oppose OSW by arguing about potential impacts “on the marine environment, commercial fishermen and our fishing heritage.” MLA’s opposition has grown stronger in the past few years under the influence of New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association (NEFSA), which is orchestrating conservative anti-OSW campaigns across the East Coast. To break this logjam, the MLCC worked with the country’s only lobstering union, Lobster 207. Though a small fraction of Maine lobster fishers are unionized, the lobstering union has a crucial role in advocating for improved working conditions within the lobstering industry. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:50
“I am glad this auction has been canceled”: City of Brookings responds to BOEM wind energy plan delay
In response to the auction being postponed Brookings mayor Isaac Hodges said, “I’m happy that even a pause shows that there’ll hopefully be a little bit more input from the community to allow for a little bit more of our voices to be heard. There definitely was a lot of trust lost with the way that this was pushed forward.” His colleague on the Brookings City Council gave a statement, calling this a positive move for the city. “I am glad this auction has been canceled. There was very little local support for the offshore wind energy project – it was not cost effective, the impacts on recreational and commercial fishing were ignored by the federal government, along with the adverse impact on marine mammals, birds, shellfish and other wildlife. It is absurd the state and federal government ignored concerns about the impact on our way of life on the southern Oregon Coast. We would have been forced to see offshore wind mills day and night and would have had to deal with the environmental impacts of giant windmills washing up on our shoreline after major winter storms. The city of Brookings has opposed this project from the beginning. I am glad this has fallen apart now, instead of after major environmental and economic damage was done to our region.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:48
