Save Right Whales Coalition

https://saverightwhales.org/resources

Conflicts of Interest
Environmental Organizations Take
Offshore Wind Industry Money

Executive Summary

The Save Right Whales Coalition, a group of scientists, conservationists, and community leaders, has discovered that many conservation organizations accept donations from the offshore wind industry.
Based on extensive offshore wind projects in Europe, it is known that offshore wind projects are lethal to some marine species to a significant extent. The construction and operation of these projects in the North Atlantic right whale habitat will put this critically-endangered species under even more stress.
Donations from the wind industry represent a conflict of interest for groups that should be holding wind
companies accountable for harms wind projects cause to marine species. Many of these groups have released statements in favor of offshore wind, or declined to comment.

For each conservation organization, we documented the history of donations from offshore wind industry
players. We also noted whether the organizations have made statements on offshore wind, both before and after the donations. ALL documentation of these conflicts of interest can be found in this spreadsheet.

Environmental organizations that have accepted wind industry donations

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute received a donation of $500,000 from Ørsted in or after 2018. Woods Hole has endorsed offshore wind since at least 2019.
The New England Aquarium received a donation pledge of $250,000 in 2018 from Bay State Wind. In
2019, Vineyard Wind donated an undisclosed amount to the Aquarium. In 2020, Equinor also donated an undisclosed amount. The Aquarium has supported offshore wind since at least 2021.
The Environmental League of Massachusetts (ELM) received a donation ranging $5,000 – $9,000 and an event sponsorship in 2020 from Vineyard Wind. In the same year, FirstLight Power Resources donated $10,000+ to ELM. ELM has supported offshore wind since at least 2010.
In October 2020, the Mystic Aquarium featured an exhibit promoting offshore wind. In June 2021, Ørsted and Revolution Wind donated $1,250,000 to Mystic Aquarium to create new pro-offshore wind exhibits and a video, among other allocations.
The Center for Coastal Studies (CCS) received a donation pledge of $5,000 for five years from Bay State Wind in April of 2018, but did not ultimately receive the donation. Vineyard Wind is listed as a corporate donor in 2018 to CCS and was a corporate sponsor in 2020 and 2021. CCS has supported offshore wind since at least 2019.
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) received a donation of $100,000 – $499,999 from
Avangrid Renewables in 2019 and 2020. In 2021, NFWF announced a partnership with US-based wind company Apex Clean Energy where Apex will donate to NFWF $1,000 per megawatt of generating capacity Apex commercializes. NFWF has not released any statements supporting or opposing offshore wind.
The Delaware Center for the Inland Bays (CIB) received a donation of $50,000 from Ørsted in April of
After the Ørsted donation, the executive director of CIB released a statement in favor of offshore wind. US Wind gave $100,000 to CIB in December of 2021. CIB will name a new building the “US Wind Environmental Education Center.”
In August 2020, the National Audubon Society received a $200,000 grant from the New England Forest and Rivers Fund, a granting organization that takes money from the Avangrid Foundation, which is part of Avangrid Renewables. The National Audubon Society has supported offshore wind since at least 2010. Several regional Audubon chapters who are part of National Audubon including Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Maine have also received grants from organizations affiliated with the offshore wind industry. The New Jersey Audubon Society, which is independent of the National Audubon Society, hosted an event sponsored by Ocean Wind in 2022. NJ Audubon has supported offshore wind since at least 2019.
The Nature Conservancy received a $165,218 grant from the New England Forest and Rivers Fund, a
granting organization with funding from the Avangrid Foundation. The Nature Conservancy has supported offshore wind since at least 2021.
The World Wildlife Fund received a sponsorship grant of undisclosed value from Ørsted in 2019. The
World Wildlife Fund has supported offshore wind since at least 2021.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) in 2018 received a donation pledge of $5,000 a year for five years from Bay State Wind to finance its Whale Alert app.
The Lobster Foundation of Massachusetts in 2018 received a $250,000 donation pledge from Bay State Wind to prevent gear entanglement of right whales. The Lobster Foundation has no statements on offshore wind.
Assateague Coastal Trust received a donation of $50,000 from US Wind in December 2021. The Trust has supported offshore wind since at least 2009.
The Wetlands Institute received donations from Ørsted of up to $49,999 starting in 2019. The Wetlands Institute has made no statements regarding offshore wind.
Project Oceanology received a $950,000 grant from Ørsted to be distributed in installments from 2021 to xxx
Project Oceanology is a marine science educational nonprofit that has used the grant money to promote offshore wind in its educational materials.
The Consortium for Ocean Leadership (COL) received a pledge from Bay State Wind to provide COL a grant of $5,000 a year for five years starting in 2018 for COL’s National Ocean Sciences Bowl. Pro-offshore wind materials are included in the bowl. The National Ocean Sciences Bowl has also received donations from Ørsted, whose Massachusetts bowl donations have totaled above $60,000.
The Maryland Coastal Bays program received a $100,000 donation from US Wind in 2021. Maryland
Coastal Bays has no statements on offshore wind.
The Blue Planet Strategies received a $296,816 donation from Shell through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries received a $201,207.00 donation from Shell through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.