There is tremendous momentum behind U.S. offshore wind power. While there are only five turbines up and running in U.S. waters (Rhode Island’s Block Island Wind Farm), Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Maryland have committed to enough offshore wind development to collectively power 10 million homes. And the Interior Department has awarded leases to developers for areas of federal water all along the east coast, from Massachusetts to North Carolina.

As states move forward on their commitments, the U.S. offshore wind industry is rapidly expanding. NWF is tracking progress and keeping wildlife and communities at the forefront of this important endeavor. We believe offshore wind power is worth advancing and we remain committed to scaling up this important wildlife-friendly source of renewable energy.

NEWS! Check out this March 2019 blog for our latest success as we work to ensure offshore wind power and North Atlantic right whales can thrive together!

Why is offshore wind power so important for wildlife and communities?

Our mission at NWF is to unite all Americans to ensure wildlife thrive in a rapidly changing world. It is among our top priorities to do all we can to combat the present and worsening threat of climate change. To do so we must dramatically reduce our reliance on one of climate change’s primary drivers: carbon-polluting fossil fuels. We need to embrace the clean, renewable energy resources available to us and ensure that they are developed responsibly, minimizing and mitigating impacts on wildlife and habitat.

In coastal states, offshore wind power is one the most valuable clean energy opportunities we have. With our largest urban centers and most strained energy markets located along the coast, offshore wind power is available right where it is needed. Offshore wind is reliable, inexhaustible, and uniquely able to rise to the scale of our energy needs. Moreover, it can replace polluting power plants as they retire, improve local air and water quality all while creating thousands of jobs. And since we’re getting in the game decades behind Europe, the cost of offshore wind power has dramatically declined, offering an increasingly affordable energy choice that will help buffer ratepayers from the volatile fossil fuel market.

How is NWF ensuring offshore wind power is wildlife-friendly?

NWF is committed to ensuring that as offshore wind power moves forward, the highest standards of wildlife protection are in place every step of the way. Because offshore wind power is new to the nation, we have the opportunity to do this right from the start. NWF is working closely with developers, state and federal government officials, conservation partners, and many ocean users to ensure that wildlife and habitat protection is considered at every decision point, from siting to construction, and ultimately during operation and maintenance of offshore wind projects. 

NWF’s advocacy is consistent with ocean planning efforts all along the coast, including Rhode Island’s trailblazing Ocean Special Area Management Plan, the Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan, the Northeast Ocean Plan, and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Ocean Action Plan.

Comprehensive and sound scientific data is the foundation of responsible offshore wind development. Our work is guided by data collected by the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, the New England Aquarium, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, New Jersey’s Ocean/Wind Power Ecological Baseline Studies, and many others. New observations and planning efforts will continue to enrich and guide our advocacy for marine mammals, sea turtles, fish, birds, bats, and marine and coastal habitat.

Key Steps for Protecting Wildlife:

• Ensure all offshore wind project siting, construction and operations decisions are informed by the best available science, comprehensive input from all kinds of stakeholders, and latest ocean planning efforts.
• Avoid building in biologically sensitive areas including: shoals, boulder reefs, rocky cobble areas, the mouths of inlets, and other areas critical to wildlife migration, breeding, wintering, or other sensitive life stages.
• Steer projects further offshore to significantly reduce potential conflicts with birds.
• Ensure comprehensive pre- and post-construction monitoring programs to inform strategies for avoiding, minimizing, and mitigating potential impacts to wildlife.
• Look at the big picture – including potential cumulative impacts of offshore wind projects as well as future shifts in wildlife ranges and other ecological changes that will result from climate change.

What is NWF doing to protect North Atlantic right whales?

North Atlantic right whales are critically endangered. Fewer than 500 are estimated to be alive today, so the loss of even one female could be devastating to the species. These majestic creatures migrate along the Atlantic Seaboard, and have been observed in and around areas designated for offshore wind development. Increased ship traffic and underwater noise from offshore wind survey and construction efforts pose a risk to right whales, as a result, extra precautions must be taken to minimize the potential impacts of these activities. NWF and our partners work to ensure these whales are protected through every stage of the development process as offshore wind leasing and projects advance.

NEWS! Check out this March 2019 blog for our latest success as we work to ensure offshore wind power and North Atlantic right whales can thrive together!

America’s first offshore wind project has set a strong precedent for responsible offshore wind development. The Block Island Wind Farm – now up and running off the coast of Rhode Island – was developed with the highest standards of wildlife protection in place. Specifically, project developer Deepwater Wind worked closely with NWF and our partners to adjust their construction schedule to minimize risks to right whales and followed stringent protocols to ensure real-time actions were taken to protect whales as the turbines were being installed.

This success story builds on years of work to develop protocols for right whale protection throughout the offshore wind development process. In 2012, we negotiated a landmark agreement with three companies to voluntarily implement protective measures to reduce or avoid sound impacts from exploratory activities while determining where to build projects in the Mid-Atlantic region. Two years later, we collaborated on another agreement with Deepwater Wind to implement protective measures during pre-construction activities in their lease area off of southern New England.

In addition to working directly with developers, NWF and our partners are in regular dialogue with the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and state officials regarding our recommendations for protecting whales and other wildlife. We submit comments at every relevant opportunity and organize meetings to bring the latest science and data to those making decisions about all offshore energy development. We also work at the state level to ensure adequate consideration of wildlife and habitat as states navigate challenges in bringing offshore wind power to shore through state waters and sensitive coastal areas.

Milestones of Our Work

• March 2019: NWF and a set of conservation partners released Best Management Practices for the protection of North Atlantic right whales during construction and operation of fixed-foundation offshore wind turbines along the East Coast, intended to guide all future projects to responsible development. Read the Best Management Practices here.
• January 2019: Developer Vineyard Wind signed an agreement with NWF and our partners at Conservation Law Foundation and Natural Resources Defense Council on a set of measures to protect North Atlantic right whales during construction and operation of their 800 MW project off of Massachusetts. Learn more and read agreement here.
• May 2014: NWF and our partners at Conservation Law Foundation and Natural Resources Defense Council announced an agreement with Deepwater Wind to protect critically endangered North Atlantic right whales throughout pre-development work to design a project in Deepwater Wind’s federal lease area off of southern New England. Learn more and read agreement here.
• December 2012: NWF entered into an unprecedented agreement with offshore wind industry leaders and conservation partners to protect the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale—helping to ensure offshore wind power can both advance to stem the impacts of climate change and minimize its own impacts on marine wildlife. Learn more and read agreement here.

Resources

• U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management: Renewable Energy Research Completed Studies
• Massachusetts Clean Energy Center: Offshore Wind Marine Wildlife Surveys
• New York State Energy Research and Development Authority: Offshore Wind Studies and Surveys