Do offshore wind farms kill whales? The facts, fiction and unknowns of marine renewable energy
From ABC News (16/3/25)…
Do offshore wind farms kill whales? The facts, fiction and unknowns of marine renewable energy
By Jean Bell and Matt Neal
A new battleground is emerging in Australia’s oceans over renewable energy projects the government says are necessary to dealing with climate change and reducing our country’s carbon emissions.
Just one spin of an offshore wind turbine can power the average Australian home for 48 hours, according to wind energy companies.
The Albanese government has set aside six offshore wind farm zones around Australia — two off Victoria’s coast, two off NSW and one each for Tasmania and Western Australia.
If elected in the upcoming federal poll, the Dutton-led Coalition has promised to scrap three of these — Victoria’s Southern Ocean wind zone and two in NSW, off Port Stephens and the Illawarra.
Just like their onshore counterparts, the push to build offshore wind farms has met resistance.
Underwater noise from support vessels on offshore wind farms could impact whales. (Supplied: Southerly Ten)
Opposition has come from all over the political landscape, from environmentalists concerned about the impact on marine life, fishermen suspicious of affects on their livelihoods, locals worried about the visual impact, and conservatives fundamentally opposed to green energy.
But do the various claims of those opponents hold water?
While there’s a lot we don’t know about offshore wind farms, there’s a lot we do — they have been in place around the world for more than 30 years.
We’ve spoken to the experts to try to separate fact from fiction when it comes to offshore wind farms…
