Democrat State Senator David ‘rising’ Watters deserves a new nickname or at least a second one. He earned the first as your atypical environmental legislative radical ranting about accelerated sea level rise (and associated tin-foil-hattery).
His latest obsession is offshore wind; like any good ‘green,’ he’ll have it no matter what anyone thinks.
The offshore wind commission he leads doesn’t post past or future meeting announcements, keeps no minutes anyone can find, and appears to be little more than the appearance of procedural propriety. Look, we had a commission. You can ask questions or offer concerns, but that might get you an email reply about how you will get offshore wind regardless, and BOEM is no different.
Biden’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has issued a report finalizing its environmental review of the Gulf of Maine Offshore Wind Research Lease.\ as if it did one. It found no significant impacts, which suggests the unexplained rise in whale deaths near offshore wind projects isn’t a concern.
In October 2021, the state of Maine requested a research lease for the purpose of researching floating offshore wind energy technology and its deployment. The research site lies 28 nautical miles off the coast of Maine, roughly southeast of Portland, and if developed would comprise up to 12 floating offshore wind turbines capable of generating up to 144 megawatts of renewable energy.
On May 29, 2024, BOEM will publish the “Notice of Availability of a Final Environmental Assessment for a Wind Energy Research Lease on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf Offshore Maine” in the Federal Register. After carefully considering alternatives described and analyzed in the Final EA, as well as comments from the public and cooperating and consulting agencies on the Draft EA, BOEM finds that the issuance of a wind energy research lease within the proposed lease area offshore Maine, and related site characterization and site assessment activities, would have no significant impact on the environment. As a result, under the National Environmental Policy Act, BOEM is not required to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement in order to issue a wind energy research lease offshore Maine.
The process moves forward without much regard for the unexplained culling of sea life.
I’m no expert. I don’t know if offshore wind is to blame. The whole thing is fishy to me, but I do know that wind is not green, and it will kill sea birds and have some detrimental impacts. If there was a desperate need, we could take time to evaluate the risks further and manage loss because of some higher purpose, but replacing fossil fuels to reduce CO2 emissions is not it. Shutting down cheap, reliable energy for expensive intermittent alternatives is economically irresponsible and will result in real-world harm to people and businesses, including (are you listening, Whale Killer?) minorities.
Even if you believe the warming narratives about CO2, America isn’t the problem. Decarbonizing will only cripple our productivity and performance, hampering economic growth and lending to joblessness and systemic stagflation. India, China, Russia, Africa, and Asia will not leave their people in poverty, and neither wind nor solar, even if they were green and affordable, will ever alleviate that. That’s why they are burning coal, gas, and oil and ramping up capacity.
The sacrifice is literally for nothing, but to progressive resume plumping goofs like Watters, the threat to our lifestyles and sea life is worth it. Look! I got offshore wind! Shower me with accolades.
We will Dave when the whales start to wash up on Hampton Beach.
This is a massive waste of time, resources, and money to pander to a misguided illusion that will cripple the country and our state.
So, what about poor people if you don’t care about whales, dolphins, lobsters, fish, or seabirds? They are already being priced out of the economy by inflation. The influx of illegal aliens is stressing their urban communities. Let’s make everything cost even more, including keeping the lights and heat on in your home. You do know they want it to all be electric, right?
I doubt he believes it or cares. He wants wind. His commission is a bunch of head-nodding bobbles. And I suspect that this project is getting fast-tracked because of the fear that should Trump win, all the federal money (on whose debt and interest advocates have enslaved future generations) might disappear.
So, there is still a chance to stop it. Even if approved, the project won’t reasonably get underway for some time, and, as has happened in states like New Jersey and Delaware, the actual final costs (ongoing operational contrast + real energy costs) will be so high that even goofballs like Watters can’t get it past his own Democrat conspirators. The forward-thinking party probably knows about all this fresh hell but is proceeding anyway while a small raft of Republicans float along for the ride (for reasons I have yet to fathom).
Ultimately, this will prove to be a costly and destructive development, fast-tracked for appearances rather than utility, and expensive even if it never gets built.
Be sure to thank David ‘Whale Killer’ Watters.
