By Kataluna Buenvenida
Two years ago, I was door-knocking in Lacey, talking about offshore wind development in our community. Around that time, Ørsted,had paused its original plan to build offshore wind turbines to provide energy to our communities. My community of Lacey was going to be key to Ørsted’s plan to bring transmission lines on shore. Residents talked to me about property taxes and education funding, and were open to offshore wind when I spoke about potential community investments from developers. Offshore wind is an opportunity to secure community investment from any developer, for important things like public education. Unfortunately, Ørsted has pulled out of development, and Lacey schools are facing major educational cuts to extracurricular activities that enrich education.
Recently, the federal Government Accountability Office produced a report covering the potential positive and negative effects of off-shore wind; the report expanded on perspectives of many different communities affected by off-shore wind. In response to this report, The National Wildlife Federation and Rep. Jeff Van Drew both released statements to the public.
I read both the responses from the NWF and Van Drew and … yikes. Did they really read the same report? Statements like these can only further scramble people’s views of offshore wind in the calamity of misinformation today. I think it’s a great idea for people in the community to read through the original report where Van Drew and the NWF drew their extremely polar conclusions from. However, most people don’t have the time to read a long research report nor the energy to make sense of a lot of technical jargon. The report is generally inaccessible for the communities that will be most affected by offshore wind.
I hope that with a concise, unbiased summary of the report’s big ideas that Lacey residents can become more informed and maybe even get involved. After reading this report, I want to share my main takeaways that, hopefully, cut through that jargon and rhetoric as much as possible, and answer questions my fellow Lacey residents might have. First, what is an offshore wind turbine and what does it do? Wind turbines generate electricity by turning blades around a rotor, spinning a generator to create electricity, how much electricity depends on the wind and the size of the turning blade. Power generated from offshore wind turbines is transmitted through cables to substations where it can be distributed to homes and businesses. Basically, it’s another way to generate electricity for homes and businesses.
Organizations like NWF also believe that off-shore wind has positive environmental effects on air quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. On this, the GAO is pretty clear that yes, off-shore wind can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, positively helping the environment and dealing with climate change. One argument from naysayers is that off-shore wind will harm wildlife and marine ecosystems. On this, the GAO is a little less clear. The short answer is it could, but maybe not, we won’t know until we see it and study. Yes, that’s the short answer.
Lastly, according to the National Climate Assessment, climate change is altering marine ecosystems and causing marine species to change their distribution, seasonal activities, and behaviors. The GAO report also explains that climate change is rapidly altering marine species behavior and habitats, making it difficult to obtain baseline data. While the long term effects of OSW on marine ecosystems may still be developing, the incoming and concerning effects of climate change are well-known.
Since the decommissioning of the nuclear power plant, we’ve been missing investments in our community. My brother attends Lacey High School and his school is facing serious financial problems. Unfortunately, it is looking incredibly bleak for Lacey, and our school board may need to eliminate all clubs. Off-shore wind can be an opportunity to gain some much needed investment for Lacey schools and local businesses. Instead of using the same report to fight opposing sides, let’s think and discuss as a community what OSW can do for us and our neighbors.
Kataluna Buenvenida lives in Forked River and is a junior at the Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science.