US government watchdog to investigate impacts of offshore wind development

A U.S. government watchdog agency will investigate the impact of offshore wind development on the fishing industry and the environment at the behest of congressional Republicans.

In March 2023, Republicans began a push for more federal scrutiny of efforts by the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden to advance offshore wind projects along the U.S. East Coast, culminating in a request to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) – an independent agency that conducts investigations and audits for Congress – to conduct a study on the sufficiency of the environmental review processes for offshore wind projects.

A House resolution introduced in January 2023 and subsequent amendment introduced in March 2023 by U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-New Jersey) and U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-New Jersey) called for a congressional investigation on the impact of offshore wind development and potential legislative solutions to mitigate negative effects. The resolution has not been voted on, but Smith’s amendment was adopted in a 244-189 vote at the end of March, and the full bill containing the amendment was approved by the House that same day. However, the Republican-led bill is likely doomed in the U.S. Senate.

“[This legislation] is dead on arrival in the Senate,” U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) said after the House approved the bill in March. “So you can do all the hoopla you want in the House, it ain't passing. It's not going to change a thing.”

In response, Smith, Van Drew, U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Arizona), and Rep. U.S. Andy Harris (R-Maryland) approached the GAO directly, sending the agency a letter in May 2023 asking it to launch an investigation into the effects of offshore wind development and the sufficiency of the current environmental review process. This month, Smith announced that the GAO had agreed to undertake the investigation.

“This aggressive, independent investigation into the ocean-altering impacts of the 3,400 offshore wind turbines slated for the Jersey Shore will help address the wide-ranging questions and concerns that the Biden administration and [New Jersey Governor Phil] Murphy continue to dismiss as they plow full steam ahead with this unprecedented offshore wind industrialization of our shore,” Smith said.

The Biden administration is pursuing a goal of generating 30 gigawatts of energy from offshore wind by 2030. It has directed federal agencies to pursue new leases, commit additional funds to research and development, and launched initiatives to foster the creation of floating offshore wind platforms.

“The offshore wind industrialization approval process has left unaddressed and unanswered numerous serious questions concerning the potentially harmful environmental impact on whales, marine life, and the ecosystems that currently allow all sea creatures great and small to thrive,” Smith said upon introducing his amendment. “Like canaries in coal mines, the recent spate of tragic whale and dolphin deaths and a well-founded suspicion that geophysical surveys, including the use of sonar, may be a contributing cause, has brought new light and increased scrutiny to the fast-tracking of approximately 3,400 offshore wind turbines covering 2.4 million acres by 2030, more after that by 2040 – all embedded into the ocean floor by massive pile-drivers – in the North Atlantic planning area that includes New Jersey's coast."

Smith called for a pause on all offshore wind development until the GAO completes its investigation.

“With so much at stake and out of an abundance of caution and concern, these offshore wind projects must be at a minimum paused until the Government Accountability Office concludes its study,” Smith said.

In December 2022, U.S. states along the Atlantic began looking into establishing a position to lead efforts to compensate commercial fisheries for the negative impacts of offshore wind, while federal legislators are drafting a bill that would create a national policy for compensating fishermen.

Resistance to the Biden administration’s offshore wind plans have not been limited to the Atlantic coast. This month, Oregon’s governor and members of the state’s congressional delegation called on the government to slow down development and allow for more studies to take place.

“Many valid questions and concerns remain about floating offshore wind,” Oregon Governor Tina Kotek wrote in a 9 June letter sent to the White House. “These must be addressed transparently before we can support proceeding further toward any substantial development decisions on the Oregon coast.” 

ANOAA Fisheries report released in March noted that offshore wind development was outpacing efforts to understand its impact.

“The recommendations indicate an enormous amount of research is still needed in order to understand the impact of [offshore wind] on our environment and fisheries, but time is limited,” the report stated.

This month, NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center announced a five-year partnership with the University of Rhode Island to research the impacts of offshore wind on the marine ecosystem and marine industries.

Photo courtesy of C-Span