wind farms : NPR

A sign for the French company TotalEnergies is displayed at headquarters March 21, 2025, in La Defense business district outside of Paris. Thomas Padilla/AP hide caption

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Thomas Padilla/AP

Energy

Trump administration to pay French company $1B to drop U.S. offshore wind leases

March 23, 2026 • TotalEnergies has agreed to what's essentially a refund of its leases for projects off the coasts of North Carolina and New York, and will invest the money in fossil fuel projects instead, the Department of Interior announced.

35 miles east of Long Island, the U.S. has its first large offshore wind farm

The first operating South Fork Wind farm turbine stands east of Montauk Point, N.Y., on Dec. 7, 2023. South Fork Wind, America's first commercial-scale offshore wind farm, is officially open. Julia Nikhinson/AP hide caption

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Julia Nikhinson/AP

Climate

35 miles east of Long Island, the U.S. has its first large offshore wind farm

March 14, 2024 • New York Gov. Kathy Hochul went to Long Island to announce that the turbines are delivering clean power to the local electric grid, flipping a massive light switch to "turn on the future."

Unfurling The Waste Problem Caused By Wind Energy

Rob Van Vleet secures a wind turbine blade onto an oversize truck at the Kimball Wind Farm in southwest Nebraska. Christina Stella/Harvest Public Media hide caption

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Christina Stella/Harvest Public Media

Energy

Unfurling The Waste Problem Caused By Wind Energy

Harvest Public Media

September 10, 2019 • While wind energy is marketed as the future's green energy solution, turbines last only about 20 years, and disposing of their behemoth fiberglass blades is both complicated and costly.

Unfurling The Waste Problem Caused By Wind Energy

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A 55-Square-Mile Wind Farm Is Now Operating Off England's Shore

A support vessel is seen next to a massive wind turbine at the Walney Extension offshore wind farm operated by the Orsted energy company off Britain's west coast on Sept. 5. Phil Noble/Reuters hide caption

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Phil Noble/Reuters

Energy

A 55-Square-Mile Wind Farm Is Now Operating Off England's Shore

September 7, 2018 • The owners say it's the largest offshore wind farm in the world. Each of its 87 turbines stands more than twice as tall as the Statue of Liberty.

Fishermen Fear Damage From Wind Farms Along The Eastern Seaboard

Scallop fishermen discard their bycatch near Montauk, N.Y. These waters are some of the most productive fishing grounds on the Eastern Seaboard. Jon Kalish for NPR hide caption

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Jon Kalish for NPR

The Salt

Fishermen Fear Damage From Wind Farms Along The Eastern Seaboard

December 4, 2017 • Will thousands of giant turbines and underwater cables in the Atlantic disrupt the commercial fishing industry? The answer is not yet clear, and studies on the farms' possible impact are underway.