LIHUE, Kauai (AP) — Hawaii nonprofit organizations are calling on federal officials to include members of the public in plans to build floating wind turbines off the state’s shores before they move forward with the projects. ADVERTISING LIHUE, Kauai (AP)
LIHUE, Kauai (AP) — Hawaii nonprofit organizations are calling on federal officials to include members of the public in plans to build floating wind turbines off the state’s shores before they move forward with the projects.
Henry Curtis with Life of the Land voiced his concerns in a letter to the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. He said the offshore wind projects could affect people who fish, boat, canoe or have a “spiritual connection” to the waters and that public meetings should be hosted on Kauai and Oahu.
BOEM received bids from two companies to build offshore turbines along the northwest and south sides of Oahu.
Carl Berg, with the Kauai chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, said federal officials need to conduct an environmental assessment “to address the detrimental effects to birds and sea life.”
According to BOEM, the next step after receiving unsolicited lease requests for the floating turbines is to complete an environmental analysis and active stakeholder engagement. Federal officials say they are in the process of reviewing the three commercial floating wind lease requests for offshore Hawaii.
