Breeze to the Rescue: Offshore Wind for a Healthier Ocean

I live on the Central Coast of California and am up to my eyeballs in offshore wind. I moved here about three years ago after retiring from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 2024. I thought I was done working—but surprise! I’m busier now than I was when I had a full-time job! Why? We have three offshore wind lease areas covering about 376 square miles of ocean waters located roughly 22 miles off the coast of San Luis Obispo County, near Cambria and San Simeon.

I got involved in offshore wind after reading opinion pieces and social media posts saying that wind farms were killing whales and birds. Since I like to dig for the truth, I decided to do my own research. I was surprised to find out that a lot of the negative claims weren’t backed up by science at all.

There are two main types of wind energy: onshore (on land) and offshore (in the ocean). Offshore wind turbines can either be attached to the ocean floor or built to float on the water. The wind energy project near me will use floating wind turbines because the Pacific Ocean is too deep to attach them to the sea floor. Let’s dig into the details!

From Coal to Wind: Which Energy Steps Lightest?

Wind energy releases about 11g carbon dioxide (CO2) per kilowatt-hour compared to 465g for natural gas and 980g for coal. If you guessed wind, you’re correct!

Doesn’t Offshore Wind Kill Birds?

Cats, buildings, cars, poison, and electrical lines kill the most birds. The National Audubon Society supports offshore wind. Why? Because if we don’t take action on climate change, about two out of every three bird species in North America could disappear forever.

“Audubon supports the responsible siting and
operation of offshore wind, and emphasizes
that this development must be done in a way
that both minimizes harm to birds and provides
a path toward a more climate-stable future.”

Do Wind Farms Hurt Whales? Here’s the Truth

There is no scientific evidence showing that whales are dying from offshore wind development. In fact, about 7,000 whales in the Pacific Northwest died because of a strong marine heatwave. Big ships like cargo boats, cruise ships, and fishing boats accidentally hit and kill around 20,000 whales every year around the world. In the U.S., about 80 endangered whales are killed each year off the West Coast. On the East Coast, more than one-third of Atlantic right whale deaths are caused by ship collisions. Some people call it “ocean roadkill.”

Federal law says wind turbine companies must bring trained wildlife experts on their boats to watch for animals. Most project boats also have to follow a speed limit of 10 knots (about 11.5 miles per hour).

Offshore Wind Site Surveys

Before building wind farms, developers have to study the ocean floor to make sure the area is safe for construction and won’t harm the local environment. Some groups say that offshore wind will hurt whales because of loud underwater surveys. The tools used to study the ocean for offshore wind are much quieter and safer than the loud ones used by oil and gas companies or the military. Offshore wind surveys use low-energy sound waves that are higher in pitch and more focused, which means they’re less likely to bother marine animals like whales.

Doesn’t Offshore Wind Create A Lot of Noise?

When building offshore wind turbines, driving the base into the seafloor can be very loud. One way to reduce the noise is to use quieting technology like bubble curtains—rings of bubbles that help block sound underwater and protect marine animals. It’s important to require companies to pause construction if whales or other protected species are nearby.

Once offshore wind turbines are off and running, they make different types of sounds. Scientists measured underwater noise from working wind turbines and compared it to the noise from ships. They found that wind turbines are at least 10 to 20 decibels quieter than ships in the same sound range.—about 10 to 20 decibels lower—than the noise made by ships in the same sound range.

What Happens to the Ocean Floor?

Foundations, anchors, and cables can disturb the ocean floor. Building offshore wind farms can change the seafloor where the foundations, anchors, and cables go. Some tiny sea creatures might leave, while others might move in and thrive. Most of these changes happen close to the turbines, not across the entire area. During construction, the seafloor can get stirred up, but it usually recovers within a few years.

Cost

Lazard recently released its latests analysis of LCOE (levelized cost of energy) for different power sources. As has been the case for the past several years, solar and wind power remain highly competitive (aka cheap). However, estimates on the high end of the price range have come down a bit while estimates on the low end of the price range have risen a little for the first time.

Right now, offshore wind is still more expensive than energy from fossil fuels like natural gas or coal in many places—but not by much. And prices are expected to keep dropping as more offshore wind farms are built.

But here’s the big difference:

Fossil fuels may seem cheaper at first, but they cause serious pollution and climate change, which lead to costly problems like extreme weather, health issues, and damage to nature.

Offshore wind doesn’t create air pollution or carbon emissions once it’s up and running. That means cleaner air, healthier communities, and a better future—which saves money in the long run.

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