Offshore Wind

An overhead view of wind turbines at the Block Island Wind Farm off Rhode Island. (Photo credit: Creative Commons)

What is offshore wind?

As we move toward a future free of fossil fuels, developers are tapping into wind as a prevalent form of renewable energy. Large turbines placed in locations with frequent or steady winds can capture wind energy, converting it to electricity. Europe leads the world in use of this renewable resource, with wind farms—collections of turbines—located not only on land but also in shallow water near coastlines. Wind farms situated on land are called “onshore” and those sited in the water are “offshore.” Asia and North America also have wind farms, and the number of offshore sites on these continents is small but growing.

Harnessing the wind’s energy requires massive turbines with a blade diameter of 30 to 170 meters (98 to 558 feet). Winds turn the blades, causing a rotor inside the turbine to spin. This powers a generator that pumps electricity into the power grid. Onshore wind farms are located in areas with frequent winds, but winds on land vary greatly throughout the day and night, limiting the amount of electricity that can be generated. Ideal locations for onshore wind farms are often far from cities where electricity is needed, adding an additional complication. People who do live near wind farms may complain about the look and sound of the turbines.

One solution, then, is to install wind farms offshore in areas near large coastal cities. These turbines may be in relatively shallow waters just a few kilometers from the shoreline, but recent installations have increased those distances. This decreases their visibility from the shoreline, addressing people’s issues regarding the scenic viewshed.

More importantly, offshore wind has the potential to generate far more electricity than onshore setups. Winds blow regularly along the ocean’s surface, creating a more consistent supply of energy, and offshore winds typically blow harder than those on land. Small increases in wind speed have a large impact on the amount of electricity generated. Increasing wind speed from 14 to 16 miles per hour will generate 50% more electricity, making offshore wind farms an ideal way to power coastal cities and towns. Larger turbines also generate more electricity than smaller ones. Offshore wind turbines can be much larger than those on land because of the large areas available in the ocean. Turbines can be assembled at the dock, then transported by boats for installation in remote locations, whereas the size of turbines on land is restricted by rail and road limitations.

Why is offshore wind important?

The Paris Agreement sets a worldwide carbon output goal of net zero by 2050. In 2019, one-quarter of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions came from the power sector, and offshore wind has the potential to greatly reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere. The gains are substantial: In 2020, global use of offshore wind reduced carbon output by more than 27 million tons of carbon dioxide per year relative to use of fossil fuels to generate electricity.

What role do scientists have in developing offshore wind?

Although private companies are responsible for most offshore wind development, scientists can provide important tools and data to support those development efforts, as well as monitor the impact of wind farms once they are installed. Turbines placed in relatively shallow waters offshore must withstand significant forces: currents, large waves generated by storms, and occasional hurricane-force winds.

Much wind-harnessing technology has been developed in Europe, but conditions along the coastal U.S. are quite different from those that are east of the Atlantic, which necessitates additional innovation. Data on wind speed and air turbulence can inform developers of the best locations to install wind farms and how to arrange individual turbines in a wind farm to maximize their ability to generate electricity. WHOI scientists have developed a laser-based device called Wind Cube that measures air movement to provide a fine-scale model of air movement. Such data can inform wind farm developers, to help them choose the best sites for installation.

Turbines must also be anchored to the seafloor in a way that ensures they stay in place despite extreme conditions. Installation is a noisy affair. The base for each turbine must be driven up to 20 meters (65.6 feet) into the seafloor with a pile-driver. The resulting noise can interfere with sea animal communication, and an intimate understanding of when and how these animals use the area is essential to reducing harm. Marine biologists work with developers to help mitigate the impacts of installations on marine life.

Additionally, objects below the seafloor, such as boulders, can stop pile-drivers from going deep enough. Scientists are developing new ways of detecting subsurface boulders and other obstacles that could delay construction and increase costs. Collaborations between private developers and scientists can ensure the most cost-efficient, environmentally sound installations as we move toward a wind-powered future.

FAQs about offshore wind and whales

Is offshore wind development the cause of an uptick in whale deaths?

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), there is currently no evidence to support speculation that noise resulting from wind development-related site characterization surveys could potentially cause mortality of whales, and no specific links between recent large whale mortalities and currently ongoing surveys. NOAA addresses questions about interactions between offshore wind energy projects and whales on the East Coast on its FAQ page.

Are the current Unusual Mortality Events related to these deaths?

Is climate change a factor in the spike in whale deaths?

Warming oceans are changing how and where populations of marine species are adapting. Changing distributions of prey results in changing distributions of whales and other marine life, which can lead to increased interactions with humans and ships as some whales move closer to shore to feed.

Recent studies suggest one reason for the recent rise in humpback whale sightings along the coast of New Jersey is climate change, which could influence where humpback whales spend their time. Farther north on their traditional feeding grounds, like the Gulf of Maine, the waters are warming very quickly, which may affect fish and plankton populations.

In 2022, the Gulf of Maine Research Institute announced the warmth of inlet waters adjacent to Maine and northern Massachusetts was the highest on record between September and November—nearly 0.5° warmer than 2012, which previously held the title for warmest fall. Sea surface temperatures during the season hovered above 60°F through almost the end of October, about 6° above normal. Read more in this Boston Globe article.

What could be some other causes for whale deaths?

There is a tremendous amount of scientific evidence, data, and documentation to show that whales and other marine mammals are being killed, injured, weakened, and wounded by ship strikes, commercial fishing gear, plastic pollution, and global warming.

Ship traffic has increased more than 34% in the last 5 years, greatly increasing the potential for ship strikes and putting the entire ecosystem where whales travel and feed under increased stress.

On beaches around the New York Bight, there have been more than 62 reported mortalities of humpback whales between 2016 and early 2023, with many showing signs of ship strikes. All totaled, between 2017 and 2023, ship strikes killed or injured over 15 North Atlantic right whales.

Are there more whales off the coasts of New York and New Jersey than in previous decades?

Researchers at Gotham Whale, a nonprofit citizen-science organization that tracks whale populations around New York Harbor, are documenting an increase of whales in the waters around New York City.

In July 2022, a study co-authored by Rutgers University, Gotham Whale, the Center for Coastal Studies and 21 other organizations in the western North Atlantic, found that 58.4% of whales spotted in the New York Bight between 2011 and 2018 were seen more than once, with the average length of stay of 37.6 days. The results suggest humpback whales exhibit extended occupancy in the New York Bight—specifically the area extending east to Fire Island, New York, and south to Manasquan Inlet, New Jersey, and including the New York-New Jersey harbor estuary—and were likely to return from one year to the next.

What are researchers doing to protect whales?

WHOI scientists, engineers, and partners are developing a range of technologies that could help protect whales and other marine animals, including:

Marine biologists and engineers at WHOI have developed a device that listens for and identifies the sounds whales make underwater. Known as the digital acoustic monitoring (DMON) instrument, the device is equipped with underwater microphones called hydrophones and can be deployed on fixed buoys or autonomous underwater vehicles called gliders. Information collected by the DMON is transmitted every two hours via satellite back to a lab at WHOI. The data are then reviewed by an analyst and posted on the publicly accessible website, whoi.edu.
Scientists at WHOI are working to develop next-generation whale detection systems that use thermal infrared (IR) cameras to monitor for the presence of whales in shipping lanes. When mounted high enough above sea level—such as on offshore wind turbines—these systems can detect whales up to 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) away. Installed on ships, the system can automatically alert ship captains to the presence of whales up to 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) away to allow most vessels to slow down or change course.
Another layer of this multifaceted approach is NOAA’s vessel speed regulations and recently proposed modifications.

How is WHOI involved with wind energy developers?

WHOI’s role as a non-profit, independent, research organization is to provide informed, research-based scientific data and analysis on wind energy development to all stakeholders and to the public. WHOI researchers adhere to a strict code of scientific independence and integrity and its research does not constitute endorsement of any company or industry.

Some WHOI researchers have received contracts from wind energy developers on projects related to studying or mitigating impacts of wind energy development on the environment, including on North Atlantic right whales.

In 2021, WHOI was awarded a two-year research grant for research from wind developer Ørsted to demonstrate, evaluate and improve on methods to detect North Atlantic right whales from acoustic buoys, a field in which WHOI scientists and engineers have unique expertise. The research grant from Ørsted supported the deployment and operation of two of these buoys for a two-year period, and the whale detection data were made publicly accessible in near real time at robots4whales.whoi.edu.

In addition, WHOI researchers have received funds from state and federal funding agencies for similar work related to offshore wind energy development. In keeping with our scientific independence, wind energy developers have no control over the research process, the conclusions reached during the course of the research, nor the dissemination or communication of research results.

How does WHOI reconcile its industry relationships with the need to protect the ocean and marine life?

WHOI works with a variety of stakeholders associated with wind energy development, including conservation organizations, state and federal scientists and regulators, as well as wind energy developers. Working with industry is an opportunity for WHOI to contribute unique expertise and knowledge to inform responsible development of offshore wind where appropriate, particularly with respect to endangered species protection and climate mitigation. These projects are helping to generate new, publicly available data and information about the ocean.

It is imperative that science, government, and industry work together and collaborate across sectors to find solutions that meet human needs, while at the same time ensuring the health and vitality of the ocean healthy.

References

Bodini, N. et al. Offshore wind turbines will encounter very low atmospheric turbulence. Journal of Physics: Conference Series 1452. 2020. doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1452/1/012023

Díaz, H. and C. Guedes Soares. Review of the current status, technology and future trends of offshore wind farms. Ocean Engineering. Vol. 209. August 1, 2020. doi: 10.1016/j.oceaneng.2020.107381.

Drollette, Jr., D. Offshore wind: Poised for the big time. An interview with Anthony Kirincich. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. November 15, 2021. https://thebulletin.org/premium/2021-11/offshore-wind-poised-for-the-big-time-an-interview-with-anthony-kirincich/

Lubofsky, E. Harnessing the Power. Oceanus. February 6, 2019. https://www.whoi.edu/oceanus/feature/harnessing-the-power/

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Offshore Wind

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Why is offshore wind important?

What role do scientists have in developing offshore wind?

FAQs about offshore wind and whales

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