Offshore wind turbines can generate significant electricity but are intermittent, requiring fossil fuel generators to stabilize the grid, which increases their carbon emissions due to inefficient operation. Real-world data from Rhode Island shows that adding wind power to the grid has led to higher CO2 emissions, and developers acknowledge that offshore wind projects are unlikely to reduce global warming or combat climate change, with their primary goal being to meet renewable energy mandates.

The Mid-Atlantic Cold Pool (MAB) is a seasonal cold bottom water mass that supports coastal ecosystems and fisheries, but dissipates in fall due to mixing events. Offshore wind energy development in the MAB has raised concerns about its potential impact on ocean mixing and seasonal stratification, as similar studies in Europe suggest such developments can affect the Cold Pool. A recent study evaluates the seasonal overlap between the Cold Pool and wind lease areas in the MAB, revealing persistent thermal gradients and cross-shelf variability, emphasizing the need for further research on the effects of wind farms on the region's coastal environment.

While most citizens support urgent action on climate change, the current plan to industrialize large parts of the Atlantic Ocean with offshore wind turbines fails to align with President Biden's executive order, which emphasizes biodiversity protection and environmental justice. The approval of offshore wind projects by federal agencies, including allowing harm to endangered species like the North Atlantic right whale, undermines vital environmental protections and risks long-term ecological damage, defying the executive order's goal of addressing climate change without sacrificing biodiversity.

While we recognize the urgent need to address climate change, we must critically assess offshore wind farms' environmental and economic impacts, particularly in areas vital to oxygen production like the outer continental shelf. The involvement of major oil and gas companies in these projects, backed by substantial government subsidies, raises concerns about taxpayer costs, environmental degradation, and the long-term financial risks of decommissioning, with the potential for these projects to leave lasting damage to coastal waters ultimately.

The recent surge in whale deaths along the Atlantic coast, coinciding with offshore wind surveys, raises concerns about a potential link. Yet, NOAA and wind companies are reluctant to investigate or acknowledge the possible impact of these activities. Despite the legal protections for marine mammals, offshore wind companies continue to request permits for actions that could harm thousands of marine species, while key agencies fail to release critical data, leaving the public in the dark about the full scope of the issue.

“Desperate times often require desperate measures, but large-scale, unproven, and invasive measures, often cause unforeseen harm. The ocean’s finite and irreplaceable resources can disappear. Wind can dissipate. Once destroyed, uniquely productive habitats and breeding grounds that sustain life on earth may not return.”

A review of scientific literature highlights the effects of microplastic pollution, focusing on environmental contamination, human uptake, and animal health impacts. Numerous studies show microplastics harm aquatic organisms. Invertebrates experience reduced feeding, fertility, slowed growth, increased oxygen consumption, and oxidative stress. Fish suffer structural damage to organs, behavioral changes, and fertility issues, with severity depending on particle size, dose, and exposure. The review concludes that microplastics pollute the seas and harm aquatic health.

The U.S. East Coast has leased 1.7 million acres for offshore wind energy development, potentially impacting the oceanographic conditions of the Atlantic continental shelf, including the Cold Pool—a critical area for fisheries. This paper reviews existing research on how wind farms may affect the Cold Pool’s stratification, which could disrupt the region's marine ecosystems and fisheries, highlighting the need for further study on how wind energy installations interact with these processes.

The report examines how offshore wind farms could impact the Mid-Atlantic Bight Cold Pool by altering ocean stratification and dynamics, potentially disrupting critical marine ecosystems and fisheries, and emphasizes the need for targeted research on these interactions.