Tag Archives: offshore wind farms
Green investors don’t see the damage they inflict on the environment
Sometimes you have to step back and take stock of what you are doing to address certain problems,,, The approval of Viking Energy appears to have kickstarted the use of Shetland and its surrounding seabed as an industrial development site for government subsidized offshore wind farms, covering some of the most productive fishing grounds in Europe. Covering the seabed with wind farm anchors, cables and associated debris, causing the exclusion of Shetland’s fishing fleet from their traditional fishing grounds both East and West of Shetland would potentially wipe out much of what is left of our local fishing industry. >click to read< By William Polson, Whalsay18:37
Lobstermen Protest Offshore Wind Farm in the Gulf of Maine
An ambitious wind power project in the Gulf of Maine could, years from now, make these family lobster dinners less frequent. Local lobstermen believe offshore wind will significantly disrupt the ecosystem and displace fishermen. Supporters say a project will provide clean energy for the region.,, “When you think of Maine, lobster’s the first thing that comes to mind,” Dustin Delano, a fourth-generation lobsterman and the Vice President of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, told me a story about fishermen from the United Kingdom coming to Maine a few years ago to discuss the windmill arrays which had been recently installed where they fish. One Mainer asked, “What would you do if you were us right now?” An English fisherman leaned over the table and said, “Fight it with everything you have, because you have everything to lose and absolutely nothing to gain.” >click to read< 17:04
Time to hit the brakes on offshore wind farms
2017, offshore wind generation appeared to be a dead issue in Maine. The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) had just completed an extensive study that deemed it too expensive for ratepayers. Now it is moving again at the speed of light. What I would like to know is, why haven’t we started an independent study on the environmental impacts of offshore wind development? We have been told that we need to move quickly given the Governor’s ambitious goals. I have heard this repeatedly and from many people in the Legislature, the bureaucracy, special interest groups and from high-paid lobbyists working for foreign corporations. Where did these goals come from, and why are we using these goals as a target? >click to read< 16:55
Fighting for the fishing grounds in the face of offshore wind farms
For almost a half century, Angela Sanfilippo has spearheaded campaigns to protect the physical and economic health of commercial fishermen, their families and the communities in which they live.,, The Vineyard Wind 1 project is positioned as the primary vanguard in the development of U.S. offshore wind farms. The project calls for the installation of 84 wind turbines about 12 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard. Beyond the benefits of clean energy and conservation, developers say the project also will create 3,658 full-time jobs in Massachusetts between 2019 and 2047. “Nowhere have they said how many people, how many fishermen, they’re going to displace,” she said. “It’s like we don’t exist and the fishing grounds don’t exist.” >click to read< 08:13
Offshore Wind Farms : We’re from the government and we’re here to _______ you!
It is just another example of the commercial fishing industry being “thrown under the bus” for the benefit of more politically powerful interests-in this case the wind energy industry and the political support that has been generated by it. But then again, perhaps not. Gina McCarthy, described as the Biden Administration’s “Climate Czar” (actually the first-ever climate advisor) “said the administration already took those complaints.” These are the comments RODA and various other folks and organizations made on the COP which were never addressed. “McCarthy said offshore wind is emerging as an even more important linchpin of the Biden administration’s clean energy strategy than had originally been expected. There are about 16 projects currently in the pipeline,,, >click to read< 15:52
Biden opens (condemns) California coast to floating offshore wind turbines – “We believe it’s shortsighted,”
The announcement, endorsed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, moves forward the prospect for wind farms in two areas about 20 miles off the coast of Morro Bay and Humboldt County. Turbines roughly 600 to 700 feet tall would be built on floating platforms because the water is too deep to anchor them to the sea floor. “We believe it’s shortsighted,” said Mike Conroy, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, “Floating offshore wind technology is unproven. It hasn’t been deployed on a large industrial scale yet. We have no idea what the environmental impacts will be off our coast.” >click to read< 13:16
Commercial fishermen being ignored on wind farm projects
For the past three decades, Town Dock fishermen and their counterparts across the Northeast have struggled to stay afloat in the face of strict regulations designed to rebuild depleted stocks of cod, flounder and other species. But now that many of the species have rebounded and government regulators are increasing the amounts of fish they can land, the fishermen face a new threat: offshore wind farms. Longtime Town Dock fisherman Bob Guzzo said the federal government is giving away land that fishermen have used to feed people for more than 300 years. “I’d like to pass this on to someone else who wants to go fishing,” he said. >click to read< 18:54
This comment is excellent-Seems like we can add to the list of lies from big wind, if anyone is keeping score. I would doubt it, their whole industry is based on lies!
Few assurances for fishermen in federal offshore wind approval
Offshore wind developers have assured the commercial fishing industry all along that the thousands of massive turbines that they want to install in the ocean up and down the East Coast won’t block fishermen from waters where they make their living. But the final approval issued this week for Vineyard Wind 1, the nation’s first major offshore wind farm, offers few guarantees to commercial fishermen. Take for instance this passage from the Army Corps of Engineers in the Record of Decision for the 62-turbine project that would be built off the coast of Rhode Island and Massachusetts: “While Vineyard Wind is not authorized to prevent free access to the entire wind development area, due to the placement of the turbines it is likely that the entire 75,614 acre area will be abandoned by commercial fisheries due to difficulties with navigation.” >click to read< 16: 36
The bird people are willing to let them die for Offshore Wind Farms. The responsible wind farms, that is!
There is no shame when it comes to ignorance! “Renewable energy sources, including wind power, are essential to saving the lives of countless birds, in addition to saving our coasts.” – As the country takes stock of the first months of the Biden Administration, the waters of New England are playing host to the epicenter of one of the major climate commitments made shortly after the president took office. The largest U.S. offshore wind project to date, Vineyard Wind, has received the green light to start building off the coast of Massachusetts, promising to deliver 800 megawatts of energy to over 800,000 homes. As conservation organizations that are committed to the protection of birds and the ecosystems,,, >click to read< 08:42
Fishermen support local legislator’s bill that would ban offshore wind projects in the Gulf of Maine
The bill, LD 101, was introduced by Rep. William “Billy Bob” Faulkingham (R-Winter Harbor) who is also a commercial fisherman. “It is time to put a permanent halt to offshore wind development,” Faulkingham said during a hearing with the Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee. Dozens of fishermen submitted testimony,,, Lobsterman Jason Joyce said the push by foreign wind companies seeking to industrialize the Gulf of Maine is an “unprecedented attack” on the fishery. “There are many other options of renewable green energy that don’t require the destruction of a hard-working industry,” wrote Nathaniel Snow, a Tremont lobsterman. “Nuclear power, hydroelectric and solar are all much more viable options. >click to read< 16:50
Counting the Staggering Cost of Biden’s Offshore Wind Power Plans: Power Costs Set to Double
With Joe Biden and the Squad in the White House, American power consumers should strap themselves in for a very wild ride. Under his plans to spear or anchor 10,000 or more giant industrial wind turbines into the seafloor off America’s Atlantic coast, it’s not just the marine environment and fishermen who will suffer the phenomenal cost of Biden’s trillion dollar boondoggle. Power consumers in the States are about to be treated to the kind of punitive power prices suffered by wind and solar powered Germans, Danes and South Australians. >click to read< 10:06
L.D. 101: Commercial fishermen and their supporters seek total ban on offshore wind farms
The bill would prohibit any state agency from permitting or approving any offshore wind energy project regardless of its location. It was introduced by Rep. Billy Bob Faulkingham, R-Winter Harbor, a commercial fisherman,,, The testimony on L.D. 101 from lobstermen, their families and town officials from fishing communities drew a clear line in the sand,,, In his testimony, Rep. Faulkingham said offshore wind was the worst kind of green energy, calling it up to five times more expensive than market prices, a threat to sea birds and mammals that would eventually take up an area four times larger than Casco Bay and enrich foreign corporations with taxpayer money. Nuclear power and Canadian hydro are better options,, >click to read< 19:23
Energy giant to hold forum with fishermen over cross-Sound cable route on Wednesday
‘Tragedy of the Commons’ Will be the Fate of Marine Environment in Atlantic Offshore Wind Farms
Like the English commons, the Atlantic waters could take just so much ‘grazing’. The Canadian government finally recognized the cod fishery had crashed and closed it;,, Recognizing that fish could not be owned until they were caught, government regulators attempted to at least partially privatize fishing rights. So too, the waters in which they swim (Hague Line dividing CN and US waters in the Gulf of Maine and on Georges Bank.) It was that bottom and those waters that wind farm builders wanted “rights”.,,, So, the question arises “why don’t the fishing interests move to protect these sensitive marine habitats?” They have tried without much success. >click to read< 18:43
Ocean Industrialization: The Biden Administration vs. Atlantic fisheries
In its rush to burnish its green bona fides, the Biden administration is showering billions of dollars of subsidies onto European offshore wind developers, and in the process threatening both the environment and the livelihoods of Atlantic coast commercial fishermen. Big Wind — money-making corporations, not philanthropists — stands to earn big bucks. And for what? The reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from building all of that offshore wind will be minuscule and will have no impact on world climate whatsoever. Instead, it is poised to wreck an entire industry and the thousands of jobs that commercial fisheries support. >click to read< 08:50
Protect Maine’s Fishing Heritage Foundation supports LD 101 to pause offshore wind development in state waters
Protect Maine’s Fishing Heritage Foundation (PMFHF) is supporting LD 101 which would pause all wind energy projects in state waters. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Billy Bob Faulkingham R- Winter Harbor.,,, Right now, lobstermen and women face a three headed sea monster (Right Whales, Aquaculture, Offshore Wind) and the outcomes could be ugly. As a result, the inshore fishery is about to get even more crowded. Lobstermen and women have been talking about leaving the offshore fishery which is beyond the three-mile line and coming inshore because of the changes around right whale regulations. >click to read< 11:45
Oppose Industrial Offshore Wind Farms – Attend Peaceful Protest Tuesday April 27th at 4:30pm
I represent Save our Shoreline NJ, a group of nearly 4000 concerned businesses, homeowners, residents, fishing community members, and New Jersey shore vacationers. The view of the industrialization of our ocean by these giant wind farms is the least of our concerns. At first I was concerned about the view, which will be a horrible blight upon our beautiful Jersey Shore, but now I know that other issues are of greater significance. One major environmental concern is for the severely endangered Atlantic Right Whale and other juvenile whales that regularly visit the Jersey Shore. A major economic concern, our electric bills, which will cripple our New Jersey economy, environmental and economic concern is for the fluke fishery,,, by Tricia Conte >click to read< 07:36
North Sea Annihilation: Offshore Wind Power Destroying Marine Environment In New & Exciting Ways
Energy generation systems of all descriptions take their toll, but only one of them claims moral superiority over all others. That increasingly tenuous claim rests on the ‘we’re saving the planet’ mantra – chanted by the wind cult around the Globe. Offshore wind turbine noise and vibration has clocked up a number of Cetacean fatalities, messing with whale’s sonar guidance and communication systems: Wind Turbine Noise Terrorizing Whales Here’s another take on how offshore wind farms in Britain are doing their bit for the environment in the North Sea. >click to read< 12:46
Nature is not a Whore!!!
We have incredible fishing grounds on our East Coast!!! Why destroy a renewable sustainable Resource??? Molesting these grounds by dumping massive amounts of construction materials on them is insane!!! Keep in mind the many rules the EPA has against ocean dumping!!! Not to mention the likely hood of them turning into a Dumping Ground after they become useless… Out of sight out of mind!!! What wonderful habitat the Turbine bases will make for the Green Crabs ocean Locust!!! We can’t forget about the Whales… The European Wind Farms do not see a significant Whale migration… What aren’t they saying??? >click to read< 09:41
Work on offshore wind farm begins – Some NJ groups are fighting it!
The $1.6 billion wind farm is known as Ocean Wind and is a partnership with Orsted and PSE&G. But there are some groups in New Jersey who are against the wind farm. “The level of awareness is just beginning to grow here, but most people not even knowing that these are proposed,” says LBI Wind Without Impact leader Jim Binder. Binder’s group is fighting to preserve the ocean in its current state. “Our research shows that the right whale migrates through this area. There are only about 300 or 400 that still remain. >click to read< 08:45
Offshore Wind Farms: Cape May Commercial Fishermen Must be Heard – They may be heard, they won’t be listened to
“The commercial fishermen have a lot of reservations about what’s going on,” said Thornton. “I would like the board to take a position to oppose this, “I am going to personally oppose it,”,,, Thornton cited figures provided by Rutgers University, reporting the commercial fishing industry in the county produces $192 million of product. “It is very significant,” In the Northeast, from Maine to Virginia, the county is ranked second in value and total pounds harvested, he said, adding it is “standard practice” in Europe and Asia to compensate commercial fishing businesses for lost income from offshore wind projects. NO! “We’re not hearing any of that here. Not at all,” said Thornton. In the U.S., there is no legal process for that to take place, he said. Certain states negotiated payments of their own with commercial fishermen, he continued. >click to read< 10:54 (starting to smell,,,)
N.J. commercial and recreational fishing groups aligning against coming offshore wind farms – ‘This is our farmland’
Capt. Hank Lackner docked a 100-foot trawler in Cape May on a recent day after unloading a catch of squid that might end up as calamari on someone’s plate just about anywhere in the United States. Lackner fears that offshore wind farms coming to the waters off the New Jersey coast in the next few years could threaten his business. Other commercial and recreational anglers, along with the Recreational Fishing Alliance, a political action organization, share his concerns. Jim Donofrio, founder of the RFA, and one of the most outspoken critics of offshore wind, says the industry creates too many issues for fishing that haven’t been fully addressed. “We want them gone,” Donofrio said. >click to read< 07:55
SPECIAL REPORT: Winds of change Part II – Windfalls! With more windfalls to come!
Energy efficiency projects and third level scholarships, sports clubs, active retired groups and local festivals were just some of those to benefit from almost €3.5m dished out by the developers of Irish windfarms in 2019.,,, One local firm that sees the danger of alienating the fishing industry is Green Rebel Marine, the Cork-based business established to service the future needs of offshore wind farms. In January it announced what it called ‘a new strategic partnership’ with a company, formerly based in Cobh, but which will now be working out of Green Rebel Marine’s offices in Crosshaven, called Fisheries Liaisons Ltd. Fisheries Liaisons staff will negotiate with fishing interests on Green Rebel Marine’s behalf, thereby smoothing the way for developers who are planning offshore windfarms. >click to read< 13:22
SPECIAL REPORT: Winds of change – Developers grease the skids to ingratiate themselves and minimize negative reception
Rural onshore windfarms have long been a subject of much debate, Windfarm developers have found that their financial contributions to local communities, like sports clubs, local organizations and projects, have helped to ingratiate themselves with the locals and minimize negative reception. HUH! Between these generous handouts and potential legal challenges, many developers of windfarms have found the projects an expensive business. But now the sector has spotted another option on the horizon – literally. Offshore wind farms. The biggest criticism of the offshore wind 
energy sector in Ireland so far has come from fishing interests, Patrick Murphy of the Irish South & West Fish Producers Organisation told Southern Star recently that the commandeering of sites at sea by windfarm developers today is akin to the land grabs from the native Americans in the 19th century. >click to read< 12:59
Just what we didn’t need now – Liz Warren
So the senator who has ignored the New Bedford fishing industry since being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2013 suddenly cares about seafood workers. What a joke. Elizabeth Warren cares about Elizabeth Warren. Period. Warren will exploit any opportunity that makes her look good. Gee, I wonder if our environmental queen will show up in an electric car? After all, New Bedford has become Green Acres under the Mitchell Administration. Warren was silent when Barack Obama declared fishing grounds off the New England coast a memorial, preventing local fishermen from earning a living there,,, >click to read< 10:05
Biden – Harris Admin announces major offshore wind farm plan, fantasize about job creation numbers
To help meet that target, the administration said it would accelerate permitting of projects off the Atlantic Coast and prepare to open up waters near New York and New Jersey for development. The administration also plans to offer $3 billion in federal loan guarantees for offshore wind projects and invest in upgrading the nation’s ports to support wind construction.,, Officials made a similar case on Monday, saying offshore wind deployment would create 44,000 new jobs directly in the offshore wind sector, such as building and installing turbines, as well as 33,000 new indirect jobs. Liars. >click to read< 17:42 Of course, the old Obama gang is here! “We are ready to rock and roll,” says OBiden climate adviser – To make this happen, Biden’s national climate adviser, Gina McCarthy, told reporters today in a press call that the administration would speed up the permitting process. while a crackpot Senator chimes in., >click to read<
Lobstermen united against Monhegan offshore wind project
In one of Maine’s biggest lobster harbors, close to 100 fishermen and their supporters packed the town dock to stand, side by side, in opposition to offshore wind power development in the Gulf of Maine. For the fishermen, the events of the week have hardened their resolve to fight the wind turbine project, which they say will be just the beginning of more platforms being installed in years ahead. They insist the development will damage the Gulf of Maine, “It’s not about anti-wind, it’s not about anti-green,” said Friendship wharf owner Jim Wotton. “It’s about preserving the Gulf of Maine.” Video, >click to read< 12:21
Ocean Industrialization: Can offshore wind farms coexist with fish farms?
South Korea will launch a pilot project to combine an offshore wind farm with aquaculture, as it pushes to tap the unlimited potential of water, which surrounds the country on three sides, as a future source of energy. The project, set to kick off in the second half of this year, involves a 60-megawatt wind turbine foundation installed in waters off Buan, North Jeolla Province, integrated with artificial reefs and aquaculture systems. The trial-run will last until Dec. 31, 2022. >click to read< 09:05
1,500 Wind Turbines. 2,700 Square Miles. Atlantic Offshore Wind Farms Will Be Big.
American offshore wind farms, (built of foreign components) of which there are 17 in the works for the Atlantic Ocean, are no longer far off on the horizon. Dire predictions of climate change and how to most quickly pivot to clean energy have fueled the embrace of offshore wind. And while most stakeholders seem on board with the nearly Eiffel Tower-sized turbines, the fishing industry remains a holdout. Meanwhile, the cumulative effect of so many turbines spread across the Mid-Atlantic Bight remains unknown. The bight stretches from the Outer Banks of North Carolina to the Gulf of Maine. video, notable quotes, >click to read< 10:50
Maine Fishermen oppose offshore wind as alternative energy option – Support LD 101
“There’s so many different reasons to oppose it,” said Jack Merrill, a resident of Mount Desert and a member of the Cranberry Isles Fishermen’s Co-op,,, In an effort to meet Maine’s requirement of 80 percent of the state’s electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and the goal of 100 percent by 2050, there is a project being proposed to research offshore wind energy by installing up to 12 floating wind turbines in a 16-square-mile area, 20-40 miles off the coast. “By removing thousands of acres of bottom from fishing access, these turbines threaten the economic health of Maine’s second largest industry,,, >click to read< 13:48
Morro Bay: Fishing Industry Opposes New Floating Wind Farm Project Area – Tom Hafer, president of the 90-member Morro Bay Commercial Fishermen’s Organization, criticized the proposal, saying it amounted to a “bait and switch.” >click to read<
