40-ton problem weighing on $100 billion offshore wind industry
Since early December, nearly two dozen large whales have washed up on or near beaches on the US Atlantic coast, and about a third of the so-called strandings have occurred on New Jersey shores. It’s unclear what exactly is fueling the deaths, but an unlikely coalition of wind opponents, local environmental groups and conservative talk show hosts have focused on offshore wind as the culprit. They argue that projects under development are disrupting sea life and contributing to the unusually high number of whale deaths.
Government officials and the companies behind these wind projects stand firm: There is no evidence linking the whale deaths to ongoing offshore wind development. They say New Jersey’s offshore wind ambitions will proceed as planned.
“Groups opposed to clean energy development are spreading misinformation,” said JC Sandberg, chief advocacy officer at the American Clean Power Association, an industry organization. “They took the opportunity to try to halt clean energy deployments along the east coast.”
In January, a group of conservation organizations led by Clean Ocean Action and a coalition of a dozen New Jersey mayors wrote two separate letters urging Washington officials to halt offshore development activity near the state. In the weeks that followed, the issue drew nationwide attention. Climate-conscious news outlets fact-check campaigns against offshore wind, while conservative talk show hosts like Tucker Carlson are outspoken in claiming that wind projects are killing whales. Some of those blaming offshore wind also have ties to conservative groups that have long opposed clean energy.
Despite all the blame, everyone agrees that many whales are dying. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says an “unusual mortality event” for humpback whales has been ongoing along the Atlantic coast since 2016, long before significant offshore wind development began there. Of the approximately 180 strandings NOAA has since tracked, nearly half have been investigated. About 40% had evidence of a ship attack or involvement related to the cause of death.
None of these whale deaths have been directly linked to offshore wind development, but some marine scientists and wind power opponents argue that the lack of a proven link does not rule out the existence of one. Critics fear that activities associated with offshore wind development, such as driving supports into the seabed, can harm marine life.
Sean Hayes, chief of the protected species division at NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center, warned ocean energy regulators last year that “additional noise, shipping traffic and habitat changes due to offshore wind development are likely to cause additional stress” for whales and ” will lead to additional “population consequences” for the species.
Environmental groups also stress that while the recent deaths are not related to ongoing activities, more needs to be done to protect marine life from a range of threats, including future wind farm construction. “Any type of marine industry will pose environmental risks,” said Alison Chase, senior policy analyst at the Natural Resources Defense Council. Smartly advancing this new industry is particularly important because “ocean life is already struggling to adapt to climate change and has been stressed by decades of pollution and habitat destruction.”
A representative for New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy told Bloomberg in a statement on Friday that New Jersey will continue to pursue its offshore wind goals. “We know that many residents, both in our coastal communities and across the state, share our genuine concern for marine life and its survival,” it said. “But we also know that there are people out there who are not motivated by concern for our environment, but by their own political ideologies and their opposition to the very efforts that will preserve and protect our environment for generations to come.”
The controversy has created a new headache for wind developers, who are working with ACP to squash claims that their projects are harming marine life. “We’re working hard to get the facts into the hands of local communities,” Sandberg said.
Among these talking points: ACP says offshore wind vessels account for just 2% of shipping traffic along the East Coast, operate under strict speed limit regulations and are manned by outside observers to watch for disturbances to marine life.
Representatives from wind developers Vineyard Wind and Ørsted AS said they are focused on marine wildlife safety, reiterating the point that their vessels are heavily regulated. “Vessels contracted with Ørsted have not experienced any whale attacks during offshore survey activities in the US,” a company representative said in an email.
The whale killer is just the latest obstacle to offshore wind. Inflation, high interest rates and supply chain problems were already threatening to derail projects on the US East Coast, and the industry has a history of negative headlines and public opposition thwarting its plans. A major push to build a wind farm off the coast of Massachusetts was scuttled in 2017 in part due to wealthy opponents who didn’t want to see the turbines from their beach homes.
Delays in wind development along the north-east coast could result in high costs. Developers spent a record $4.4 billion last year just for the rights to install turbines off the coast of New York and New Jersey, in a blockbuster auction that underscored the rising enthusiasm for renewable energy. Building the actual wind farms will require much more investment, with a $10 billion price tag for some of the largest projects. By 2030, total investment to meet the country’s offshore wind goals could reach around $100 billion, according to an estimate cited by the US Department of Energy.
The companies that build wind farms publish weekly reports describing their vessels and the work being done; Recent activity in the region has focused on site preparation. Vineyard Wind, for example, announced that eight ships were laying underwater cables across Nantucket Sound off the coast of Massachusetts. A report from Avangrid Inc. shows that the utility is conducting subsea drilling on its lease, also off Massachusetts.
While offshore wind isn’t perfect, proponents say it still outperforms the alternative: continuing to burn fossil fuels that raise world temperatures. Elizabeth Klein — the newly appointed director of the US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, which oversees the industry — told Bloomberg in a Feb. 10 interview that while climate change is creating urgency in the push for offshore wind, federal regulators are still treading cautiously .
“This work has meaning, but I think we’re doing it in a really conscious and respectful way of the communities’ concerns and making sure we hear that feedback, we incorporate it where we can and we’re moving forward in a way.” , which implements our mission to safely and responsibly steer energy development in the outer continental shelf,” said Klein.
Many Jersey Shore residents have had problems with local wind projects. Before this winter’s mammal frenzy, beach residents had compiled a list of complaints about the turbines, including their high price and appearance.
“We believe it will destroy our tourism industry,” said Suzanne Hornick, a resident of Ocean City, New Jersey, and a member of Protect Our Coast NJ. “When people come to Ocean City, they don’t want to look at an industrial park.” Meanwhile, companies developing the turbines argue that even on a clear day they will only be slightly visible.
On Sunday afternoon, Hornick plans to attend a Save The Whales rally on the Point Pleasant Beach boardwalk where locals will call for an end to construction of the wind farm. Your timing couldn’t be better. “Today is World Whale Day,” she said.
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