Six new offshore wind farms move closer to reality but residents concerned for coastal environment

6 comments

1. Paywalled:

   When details of a large wind farm planned for off the coast of counties Dublin, [Meath](https://archive.fo/o/noqMl/https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/meath/) and [Louth](https://archive.fo/o/noqMl/https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/louth/) began to emerge, Teddy Otto, who is living “right on the beach” in Skerries, said to himself: “Sure, it will be grand.“I would describe myself as green in spirit. I fully accept [global warming](https://archive.fo/o/noqMl/https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/climate-change/) is happening. In principle, I’m in favour of [wind energy](https://archive.fo/o/noqMl/https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/wind-energy/),” says Otto.He eventually concluded the scale of the [North Irish Sea Array ](https://archive.fo/o/noqMl/https://northirishseaarray.ie/)(NISA) was inappropriate given its location – a consequence of an “imposed designation 25 years ago” without proper prior environmental evaluation. “It’s not a sensitive way of doing it. It ticks the sustainability box but not on wildlife and proximity to the coastline.”

   …Costed at more than €1 billion, NISA will potentially power 500,000 Irish homes, delivering 700 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy. It will displace approximately half a million tonnes of CO2 annually, say its developers – Norwegian company [Statkraft](https://archive.fo/o/noqMl/https://statkraft.ie/) and [Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners](https://archive.fo/o/noqMl/https://cipartners.dk/). They are promising a community fund of €4 million annually over its lifetime.Their planning application presents two options; one for 35 turbines with a maximum tip height of 316 metres, the other for 49 turbines with a maximum tip height of 290 metres; the nearest being 13km offshore.

2. Residents don’t give a shit about the marine environment.

   They’re concerned with their own views and performed a hasty web search on which marine life to pretend to be concerned about.

3. We should be a world leader in wind energy to the point we’re a major exporter.

   It’s mad to think a few generations from now people will probably be astounded how when we had billions in surplus budget we didn’t do it because of aesthetics.

4. Mad how you can lodge a complaint about offshore projects

5. ““It’s not a sensitive way of doing it. It ticks the sustainability box but not on wildlife and proximity to the coastline.”.”

   NIMBY translation: what if I want to look over there and there’s one of them obstructing my right to look over there, I was here first.

6. Ask them to name five species of fish that inhabit their coastal environment.