The Global Challenge Against Offshore Wind Farms

By Nichola Groom and Lewis Jackson

LOS ANGELES/SYDNEY (Reuters) – Bill Thompson’s fight to stop offshore wind farms began in Rhode Island but has expanded into a global movement. In April, Thompson, the director of the activist group Green Oceans, received an email from the Responsible Future (Illawarra Chapter) in Australia, seeking advice on how to combat wind farm projects on the southeast coast. Subsequently, in August, Thompson was approached by the French group PIEBIEM, which is opposing projects in Brittany.

“It’s always nice to know that other people are thinking the same way you are,” he told Reuters.

These organizations are part of a growing network of anti-offshore wind groups across the U.S., Europe, and Australia. They are sharing tactics and resources to collectively oppose offshore wind projects, aiming to transform an uncoordinated collection of activists into a more effective global coalition.

Many of these groups suspect that governments and developers like Orsted, Avangrid, and Shell are minimizing the environmental harm caused by offshore wind projects while promoting them as solutions to climate change. Activists on the U.S. East Coast are turned to for guidance, having previously succeeded in curtailing project sizes, reducing public support, and winning over politicians, including former President Donald Trump, who has shifted from supporting to opposing offshore wind as a Republican presidential nominee.

Despite offshore wind being a key element of President Joe Biden’s climate strategy, the industry’s plans are fraught with challenges, including rising costs, supply chain issues, and numerous lawsuits regarding tourism, property values, fishing, and marine habitats.

Moreover, the growing global collaboration among anti-offshore wind groups presents a new hurdle for the industry, allowing these groups to quickly adopt strategies that have taken years to develop. This collaboration also aids the spread of misinformation regarding the impact of wind turbines, including claims they kill whales and contribute minimally to combating global warming.

Ben Backwell, CEO of the Global Wind Energy Council, remarked, “It’s a huge problem, and I don’t think the industry has got its head around A, what’s happening, and B, what to do about it.”

Opposition groups aim to escalate their efforts, with talks of joint declarations and enhanced media impact to sway public opinion. In recent developments, a West Coast group is forming a national anti-offshore wind organization, and the Responsible Future group is discussing a global coalition to confront the rapidly advancing offshore wind industry globally.

Eric Sartori of PIEBIEM first reached out to Green Oceans after seeing images of broken wind turbine blades on social media. Thompson helped him by providing a quote from a U.S. agency indicating that offshore wind does not significantly impact global warming, which PIEBIEM has featured next to pictures of debris littering Nantucket’s coast.

While the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management clarifies that wind power should be part of a broader approach to reducing climate change, misinformation continues to spread among opposition groups, leading to skepticism about turbine durability and unfounded fears that they obstruct ocean views or threaten marine life.

U.S. claims linking whale deaths to offshore wind have ignited a political firestorm, prompting similar rhetoric in France and Australia. The U.S. government asserts these claims are unfounded, attributing whale deaths primarily to vessel strikes and fishing entanglements.

In response to opposition, renewable energy advocates like the American Clean Power Association are focused on communicating the benefits of offshore wind, emphasizing economic growth and energy independence. They state, “Misinformation undermines trust, fosters confusion, and divides communities at a time we need more American energy.”

Green Oceans has found support from experts like marine biologist Josep Lloret, who has raised environmental concerns associated with offshore wind in the Mediterranean. Others have leveraged this expertise for their own arguments, reinforcing their positions with scientifically-backed data.

The increasing public opposition is reshaping the narrative around offshore wind. In New Jersey, support for offshore wind dropped from 80% to 50% over four years, according to a Stockton University poll. Trump’s involvement in the anti-offshore wind movement further amplifies this discontent, as he promises to halt offshore projects if re-elected.

In Australia, public opposition to offshore wind has risen from 12% to 18% in a year, while in France, a Senate committee recommended reducing offshore wind targets due to cost and technology maturity concerns, trailing behind the European growth race.

Anti-offshore wind groups face allegations of being funded by right-leaning interests linked to the fossil fuel industry. However, members of groups like ACK4Whales maintain neutrality, distancing themselves from partisan affiliations to strengthen their messaging.