A document connected to the Horse Heaven wind and solar project in Washington state remains under wraps. The Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council declined to release a document detailing its reasons for recommending Washington Gov. Jay Inslee approve the contentious Horse Heaven wind and solar project. The council voted 5-2 on April 17 to send a report to Inslee that supports allowing up to 222 turbines and more than 5,000 acres of solar panels on rolling hills, mostly farmland, near the Tri-Cities.
A recent draft environmental impact study of the impact of offshore wind turbines in the New York Bight — the ocean waters off New York and New Jersey — made only brief and passing mention of the monarchs, which congregate on South Shore beaches as part of their annual fall southern migration. The draft environmental review by the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management precedes the next wave of offshore wind turbines planned for the bight, where Empire Wind 1 could see turbines spinning off Jones Beach in two years. Developer Equinor recently stalled plans for a second wave of turbines called Empire 2. But five other projects are planned for tens of thousands of acres of ocean, some just off the coast of New Jersey. In a message in response to Newsday questions, BOEM spokesman Lissa Eng downplayed the potential impact to the butterflies, which are listed as a “candidate” for an endangered species act classification.
“No matter how we feel or whatever, the feds are shoving this down our throat and it doesn’t matter what we say,” said Capt. Cane Faircloth, a NCFHCA board member who handles media, public relations and marketing for the association of about 300 people.
Anti-offshore wind sentiment is based on many factors. High on the list of grievances, however, is the environmental toll of the projects. Opponents cite whale deaths, disruption to bird migration patterns, and a host of other ecological consequences as reasons alone to scrap the projects. What can be surmised about the ecological impacts of offshore turbine development? While there is still much to learn, here are three research-backed ecological effects of offshore wind development.
As demand for renewable energy increases across the nation, Wyoming is becoming a valuable commodity for wind resources. In addition to the Rail Tie Wind Project to the south-southeast of Laramie, which is expected to be operational by 2026, the Rock Creek Wind Project is planned to be completed in two separate phases, the first set with an in-service date of Dec. 31 and the second on Sept. 1, 2025.