Fifteen miles off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard in Nantucket, MA, the first 5 wind turbines in the Vineyard Wind 1 project have been erected. Vineyard Wind, one of the first utility-scale offshore wind (OSW) renewable energy projects in the country, aims to produce enough electricity to supply one in six households in Massachusetts with clean energy. In total, it is expected to power more than 400,000 homes and businesses in Massachusetts, accounting for 12% of Massachusetts’ annual energy demand and saving customers $1.4 billion over the first 20 years of operation. Concerned environmentalists and fishers worry about the effects of construction and continued function of turbines on nearby fisheries. But, as the effects of climate change compound, there are far greater threats for the aquatic populations of the northeast Atlantic coast than those associated with offshore wind.
Wind turbines from the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind pilot project. These turbines were the first ever installed in U.S. Federal waters. // Credit: Stephen Boutwell/BOEM via Flickr
Offshore wind is gaining traction as the new superstar in renewable energy. The turbines are placed in coastal waters, where ocean winds generate even more energy than land-based wind turbines. Offshore wind energy has the potential to supply massive amounts of energy for electrical grids in highly settled coastal populations and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Massachusetts has more potential to generate power from off-shore wind than any other state in New England, with the possibility of meeting projected 2050 electricity needs with development.
Commercial fishing companies and whale activists have joined forces in opposition to Vineyard Wind. Different organizations, both commercial and activist-based, fear irreversible damage to key fisheries and federally protected marine mammals. Lawsuits, injunctions, and protests in the name of squids, whales, and fishermen all threaten the progress of Vineyard Wind. However, many lawsuits and “activist” groups against OSW projects in New England have been connected to conservative pressure groups backed by oil companies. A lawsuit from local Rhode Island fishermen was backed by the oil-fueled Texas Public Policy Foundation and the Save Right Whales Coalition is caught in a web of organizations funded by the Caesar Rodney Institute. Despite these fears, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have conducted extensive research that confirms Vineyard Wind poses minimal risk for fishing spots and whale migratory locations.
Previous successful off-shore wind projects in Denmark and Spain highlight the benefits of renewable energy, both to humans and aquatic creatures. By offsetting carbon emissions, these projects diminish the threat of climate change. While there are some negative impacts, namely changes in the acoustic landscape of the aquatic populations and the change of topography on the ocean floor, there are positive impacts as well. Longfin and shortfin squid, a large portion of commercial fishing harvests off the coasts of Rhode Island and Connecticut, are affected by piledriving and low-frequency vibrations associated with turbine installation but can adapt over time. Populations of Black sea bass, popular with recreational fishers around Nantucket, are drawn to turbine foundations, where they hide and congregate. More studies on right whales prove that the impacts of climate change are far more dangerous to their success than any associated with off-shore wind.
Turbine noise is the least of concern for aquatic species off the coast of Nantucket. In the Northeast, changing population distribution is the biggest threat from climate change. As ocean pH and temperatures dramatically change from their norm, the locations that species spawn, migrate, and swim in shifts up and down the coast. This change in habitat, caused by processes like ocean acidification, global sea level rise, and warming ocean temperatures, are accelerated by climate change. As government organizations, like the NOAA Greater Atlantic Region Habitat and Ecosystem Services Division, continue to monitor the waters of the Northeast the reality is clear: climate change poses a much greater threat than turbine construction.
Vineyard Wind is on track to start supplying power in spring 2024 and is expected to reduce carbon emissions by more than 1.6 million metric tons per year when completed. Even with debate over the environmental consequences of off-shore wind, more immediate are the economic concerns. More than 3 separate OSW projects have been scrapped in recent months in the Northeast alone due to inflation and supply chain issues. According to the US Energy Information Administration, Massachusetts consumed almost three times the amount of energy it produced in 2020. OSW projects like Vineyard Wind can improve energy security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as providing thousands of jobs.
The importance of green energy to addressing climate change is worth more than the changes in species behaviour or the economic damage to fishers that may occur. Undoubtedly, the consequences of climate change will be worse for both. With the current landscape of energy production and consumption, the effects of climate change will continue to threaten fisheries that inhabit New England waters. Supporting renewable energy, especially offshore wind projects like Vineyard Wind, is key to reducing carbon emissions and reversing the negative effects of climate change on aquatic species.