Protecting Nature While Utilizing Its Power
“Danish experience from the past 15 years shows that offshore wind farms, if placed right, can be engineered and operated without significant damage to the marine environment and vulnerable species.
The comprehensive environmental monitoring programmers of Horns Rev Offshore Wind Farm and Nysted Offshore Wind Farm confirm that, under the right conditions, even big wind farms pose low risks to birds, mammals and fish, even though there will be changes in the living conditions of some species by an increase in habitat heterogeneity.
The monitoring also shows that appropriate siting of offshore wind farms is an essential precondition for ensuring limited impact on nature and the environment and that careful spatial planning is necessary to avoid damaging cumulative effects.
Due consideration to limiting the impacts on nature together with positive attitudes towards offshore wind farms in local communities and challenging energy policy objectives at national and international levels means that prospects look bright for future offshore expansion.
Wind power, as a renewable source of energy, produces no emission and is an excellent alternative to conventional electricity production based on fuel such as oil, coal or natural gas.”
[via] www.capecodtoday.com
