BLOOMBERG • February 19, 2023
The offshore wind industry has a 40-ton problem on its hands. Since early December, close to two dozen large whales have washed up on or near beaches on the U.S. Atlantic coast. It’s unclear what exactly is fueling the deaths, but an unlikely coalition of wind opponents, local environmental groups and conservative talk show hosts have zeroed in on offshore wind as the culprit. They argue that projects in development are disrupting marine life and contributing to the unusually high number of deceased whales. Government officials and the companies behind those wind projects say there is no evidence linking the whale mortalities to ongoing offshore wind development.