SOURCE:
https://liherald.com/seacliff/stories/clean-energy-jobs-and-climate-action,214481
By Angelina Zingariello - April 22, 2025
Advocates gathered on the front lawn of the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building for an Earth Day rally to challenge recent federal actions that have halted the Empire Wind 1 offshore wind project.
Organizations present included Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Renewable Energy Long Island, the New York League of Conservation Voters, Natural Resource Defense Council, Local Union 3 IBEW, Local Union 806, Local Union 290, Climate Jobs New York, the National Wildlife Federation, the Sierra Club Long Island group, All our Energy, the Long Island Progressive Coalition, Minority Millennials and Vision Long Island
The proposed Empire Wind 1 project, which officials said would generate power for over 500,000 homes, has been brought to a standstill by a federal stop-work order.
“It is not a right-wing or left-wing issue, it is not an issue for the rich or the poor, it is a human health issue, it is an issue for all of us,” said Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment. “That's why we're here today, working collaboratively, reaching, talking with one voice in a unified manner, to talk about the fact that two things are important. Two things: climate change is real, and offshore wind is part of the answer.”
Labor unions and environmental groups united to argue that the project is not just an environmental initiative, but an economic and climate resilience strategy. They stressed that the offshore wind development would create thousands of union jobs, provide energy independence and offer a sustainable alternative to fossil fuel sources contributing to global warming.
Doug Schmid, executive committee member of the Sierra Club Long Island group and Environmental Science professor at Nassau Community College, addressed concerns about marine life and climate impacts, dispelling myths about the project's environmental consequences.
“After many years of studying the effect of offshore wind on whales,” Schmid said. “The US government's premier science agency has stated, quote, there's no known link between large whale deaths and ongoing offshore wind activities, period.”
Whales are more at risk from big ships hitting them and getting tangled in fishing nets, Schmid explained. The wind farm workers are cautious and use special observers or trained professionals who are placed on boats during offshore wind construction to watch for marine life, stop working if whales are nearby and try to make as little noise as possible. The real danger to whales is climate change and oil spills, not wind turbines.
However, not everyone agrees with the benefits of the project. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman voiced concerns during a news conference held at the city fire station on West Park Avenue on April 16.
"These wind turbines are killing birds and killing whales and create environmental hazards," Blakeman said. "There’s oil and diesel fuel with each and every one, and that fuel could escape. There could be a collision, there could be a leak of some kind, and pollute all of our beaches. And then, on top of that, these battery storages, are the size of buildings.”
While Blakeman's concerns highlight the opposition to the project, advocates at the rally remained focused on the broader benefits they believe the project can offer.
Speakers closed by emphasizing that offshore wind represents a path forward that transcends politics, offering benefits that could reach every community.
Beyond providing clean energy and supporting union jobs, they believe offshore wind projects like Empire Wind 1 are critical to building a stronger, more resilient economy and protecting future generations.
The organizations at the April 22 rally urged that the conversation stay focused on creating opportunity, safeguarding public health, and investing in a sustainable future, not partisan divisions.