A recent study commissioned by the State of New York yielded some encouraging news for wind farms such as the Offshore Wind Preserve planned by Outer Banks Ocean Energy Corporation (OBOE) – most notably, that wind development’s environmental impact is smallest among the six major types of energy generation.
According to an article by Gail Kalinoski in the July issue of North American Windpower, the study, completed by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), determined that wind energy poses low to moderate potential risks to wildlife. Wind power outperformed five other types of energy generation – coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear and hydro – in limiting contributions to wildlife risks.
The study, “Comparison of Reported Effects and Risks to Vertebrate Wildlife from Six Electricity Generation Types in the New York/New England Region,” took a comprehensive look at the entire project life cycle for each source of energy. “Resource extraction, fuel transportation, construction of the facility, power generation, transmission and delivery, and decommissioning of the facility” were all taken into account during the study.
The results get to the heart of why projects like OBOE’s Offshore Wind Preserve are so important – through offshore wind, we can provide reliable electricity to North Carolina while seeing a considerable reduction in our environmental footprint. As we have mentioned before, North Carolina has a unique opportunity to host an offshore wind farm in suitable conditions; the fact that wind energy is less intrusive upon its surroundings makes for an even stronger case.
Studies like the NYSERDA report serve as a launch pad for research and planning for improved wind farms, like the OBOE Offshore Wind Preserve, in the coming years. We have an increasingly clearer understanding of how to protect the marine and air-based species who call the waters off North Carolina’s coast home. Protecting birds and fish that frequently travel through the proposed sites of OBOE’s wind farm is a high priority. Our plans call for extensive avian and aquatic environmental studies in order to preserve, protect and enhance the environment for fish and other wildlife.
We are excited to bring to North Carolina a project that gives residents a great source of clean energy and pumps dollars back into the state and local economy. But since we are also part of the community to which we contribute, we understand the importance of retaining our environmental vitality. Promoting wind power as an energy source is a great start, but it is only the beginning of energy independence for North Carolina and the United States.