A former US Navy secretary and longtime diplomat has called on the Biden administration and Congress to halt plans for large offshore wind farms near Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
J. William Middendorf warned in an Oct. 24 letter to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff that the projects were “hampered through a deficient regulatory process despite controversy over acknowledged impacts and questionable benefits,” according to a copy obtained exclusively by The Post.
The 99-year-old Middendorf predicted to Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr. that the development “will destroy ocean habitats, destroy marine animal populations, cripple ocean-dependent industries, and destroy the quality of life that proximity to the ocean provides residents and visitors.
“They will also enrich foreign energy companies at the expense of American taxpayers and undermine national security, military operations, and maritime security,” Middendorf added. “Offshore wind complexes will drive up energy costs and create huge environmental liabilities that will last until the last turbine comes down – all without reducing our carbon emissions or taking a single fossil fuel plant offline.”
“Offshore wind development in Rhode Island and Massachusetts will destroy ocean habitat,” Middendorf said in an Oct. 24 letter to Gen. Charles Brown Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. AP
Brown did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Middendorf served as secretary of the Navy under former Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford before becoming US ambassador to the Organization of American States and envoy to the European Union under President Ronald Reagan.
In addition to Brown, Middendorf also sent copies of his letter to Rhode Island’s congressional delegation, Biden administration officials and other members of Congress, calling for all North Atlantic wind turbine projects to be halted until two previous government investigations into their impacts are completed.
A former US Navy secretary and diplomat has called on the Biden administration and Congress to halt plans for large offshore wind farms near Rhode Island and Massachusetts. US Navy
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and Jack Reed, both Rhode Island Democrats who received copies of the letter, did not respond to requests for comment. Neither did Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-RI) or Gabe Amo (D-RI).
In September, the Ocean State’s fisheries regulatory board resigned en masse after being sidelined from the regulatory process, which could OK as many as 16 wind farms to be built by 2025.
The Government Accountability Office is investigating whether offshore wind development has a negative impact on maritime activities, and the Head of the Department of Transport will audit the impact of wind turbines on air and military traffic and radar inspections.
Orsted, a Danish wind farm producer, has received billions of dollars in subsidies and tax credits from the Biden administration and state lawmakers — only to pull out of some projects early. Getty Images
“I fail to understand why the leadership of our coastal countries seems to welcome the destruction of their oceans for foreign profit, as it has become clear that offshore wind development does not reduce carbon emissions or dependence on fossil fuels,” Middendorf added, apparently referring to Orsted .
The Danish wind farm developer has received billions of dollars in subsidies and tax credits from the Biden administration and state lawmakers — only to pull out of some projects early.
The renewable energy push comes as a result of President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, a $739 billion law to supposedly combat climate change.
Rhode Island Democratic Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse and Jack Reed, who received copies of the letter, did not respond to requests for comment. CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images
But Middendorf said most investments will not reduce fossil fuel use or reduce carbon emissions.
“Because wind is intermittent, and neither the technology nor manufacturing capabilities exist to provide sufficient battery storage, the grid needs fossil fuel generators ready to supply 100% of electricity needs,” he wrote.
“These projects will not replace a single fossil fuel power plant. Also, demand cycling from low production to full capacity means backup fossil fuel generators will produce more [carbon dioxide] than they would under a consistent demand scenario,” he added, pointing to the US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) assessment that wind turbines would have “no measurable influence on climate change”
Middendorf said most investments will not reduce fossil fuel use or reduce carbon emissions. Reuters
Middendorf also noted the potential for interference with US military operations, referring to BOEM’s decision not to develop in 700 square miles off the coast of North Carolina near US Navy and Air Force training grounds.
“Hurricanes hitting the east coast, which are occurring with increasing frequency as the earth warms, can not only disable but destroy thousands of turbines, leaving the grid cracked and the ocean strewn with large debris,” he said.
“Who will bear these costs? It’s not the energy companies that are developing these offshore wind complexes, it’s the American taxpayer.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
