Oregon State University researchers were awarded a $2 million grant earlier this month to study the distribution of marine mammals and seabirds as the Biden administration moves forward with a proposal to develop wind farms off the Oregon coast.
The grant, one of four handed out by the U.S. Department of Energy, comes as the Biden administration continues an aggressive push to move the country’s electricity production away from fossil fuels, Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said.
“Harnessing the incredible potential that exists within offshore wind energy is an essential piece of reaching a net-zero carbon future,” Granholm said in a statement. “In order for Americans living in coastal areas to see the benefits of offshore wind, we must ensure that it’s done with care for the surrounding ecosystem by co-existing with fisheries and marine life.”
Lisa Ballance, director of the Marine Mammal Institute at Oregon State and lead researcher on the project, said the grant money will help fund visual and acoustic surveys for seabirds, whales, dolphins and porpoises in a region stretching from Cape Mendicino in California to the mouth of the Columbia River at Oregon’s northern border.
“A solid understanding of what species occur where, how often and in what numbers is critical to informing human use of the marine environment,” Ballance said in a statement. “We are proud to be part of this blend of strong science informing industry in the context of sustainable use and stewardship of our oceans.”
Earlier this month, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announced the administration planned to develop up to seven wind farms and hoped to hold lease sales by 2025 for projects off the coasts of Oregon, Maine, New York and the mid-Atlantic, as well as the Carolinas, California, and the Gulf of Mexico.
“The Interior Department is laying out an ambitious road map as we advance the administration’s plans to confront climate change, create good-paying jobs and accelerate the nation’s transition to a cleaner energy future,” Haaland said.
Electricity production is the second largest source of carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S., accounting for 25% of the greenhouse gases spewed into the atmosphere annually, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. More than 60% of electricity production in the country comes from burning fossil fuels, mostly coal and natural gas.
Biden has set a goal to have 100% of electricity production in the U.S. carbon free by 2035 and to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind power, enough to power roughly 10 million homes, in the U.S. by the end of the decade. Meeting the target could mean jobs for more than 44,000 workers and for 33,000 others in related employment, according to the White House.
“Offshore wind presents a key piece of a greener future, and I’m thrilled that OSU has earned this federal investment to apply its top-notch research in Newport to this clean energy source,” Oregon U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden said in a statement. “I’m glad the Energy Department has recognized Oregon State can provide the research and data to ensure the development of this clean and sustainable energy source doesn’t hurt our state’s world-renowned coastal fisheries and wildlife.”
The four-year project at Oregon State, which is expected to get underway in the spring of 2022, will also incorporate historical data and data currently being collected as part of other projects, the university said.
“We are excited about this opportunity,” Ballance said. “This funding will support strong basic science that will undoubtedly lead to new discoveries. Equally important, our science will be used to inform the wind energy industry.”
