‘Permanent Damage’

Editor:

A proposal from the federal government to industrialize the ocean along the Central Coast and Humboldt coastline with hundreds of 1,000-foot-tall, floating wind turbines would set a precedent that ocean industrialization is acceptable, destroy the character of the coastline and kill ocean wildlife (“The Top 10 Stories of 2024, Dec. 26).

We’ve already seen the consequences of ocean industrialization with oil and gas developments in the Santa Barbara Channel. We should have learned our lessons by now.

Offshore wind is one of the most expensive ways to generate electricity and is not cost-effective. Offshore wind energy costs four to five times more per kilowatt hour than residential solar. Our utility bills from PG&E and SCE are already too high.

Clean energy is our future, and the most economical and efficient way to accomplish this transition is to let the public produce and own it locally, near the sources where electricity is used. Rather than giving multi-national oil, gas and wind energy corporations like Equinor tax breaks and financial incentives that ultimately are paid for by electricity ratepayers and taxpayers, give better financial incentives to millions of California home owners and commercial building owners. The rebate program to promote electric vehicles was a success. Do the same for residential solar installations and battery storage systems that capture wasted electricity for future use.

Do we really want to put hundreds of 1,000-foot-tall rotating turbines in the middle of the Pacific Flyway, where millions of birds migrate each year, mostly at night?

Ocean industrialization will cause permanent damage to our coastal wildlife, coastal tourist economy and be an economic burden to residents. Let’s stop this environmental and economic boondoggle before it gets started.

Ruston Slager, Santa Barbara

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This article appears in Enter the Papaya Lounge.