National Coalition Takes Stand Against U.S. Offshore Wind Projects

U.S. activists against offshore wind projects have formed the National Offshore-wind Opposition Alliance (NOOA) to unify local opposition groups nationwide. The coalition, led by Mandy Davis, aims to address concerns about the impact of these projects on tourism, property values, fishing, and marine habitats.

U.S. activists opposed to offshore wind development are forming a national coalition to fight projects spanning from California to New England, according to the group's founder and two other organizations.

The National Offshore-wind Opposition Alliance (NOOA) seeks to elevate a previously fragmented movement of local groups into a national cause, says its president, Mandy Davis. Offshore wind, a burgeoning industry in the United States, is central to President Joe Biden's climate strategy, but faces resistance over concerns about its impact on tourism, property values, fishing, and marine habitats.

Representatives from around 20 local groups from both U.S. coasts attended NOOA's first virtual meeting. Davis, who also heads the REACT Alliance, a California-based opposition group, said the coalition is still formalizing its membership. Green Oceans, which has initiated lawsuits to halt projects off Rhode Island's coast, is one early joiner. Bill Thompson, Green Oceans' co-founder, hopes the coalition will improve information and strategy sharing among opposition groups. NOOA plans to remain politically neutral and will not accept donations from fossil fuel interests.

The acronym NOOA, echoing that of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), signifies a critical stance toward federal ocean conservation policies and the permitting of offshore wind facilities, Davis noted as a symbolic 'dig.'