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Disturbing Offshore Wind Noise
Disturbing Offshore Wind Noise
On July 10, 2025, the Offshore Wind Advisory Committee (OSWAC) hosted a presentation by acoustics expert Robert Rand titled “Offshore Wind: What You’re Not Hearing.” His testimony, based on field recordings and predictive modeling, revealed alarming noise pollution impacts from offshore wind energy development—both beneath the surface and reaching far inland.
Mr. Rand’s presentation begins at 16:30, and we encourage all residents of Westport and neighboring coastal communities to watch and learn what these projects could mean for our quality of life and local ecosystem.
Highlights from the Presentation
Highlights from the Presentation
Underwater Sonar Recordings
Underwater Sonar Recordings
Timestamp: 28:00
Mr. Rand plays actual recordings from sonar survey vessels used in offshore wind exploration. These continuous sounds contribute to underwater noise pollution that can affect marine mammals' ability to navigate and communicate.
Pile Driving: Distorted Yet Disturbing
Pile Driving: Distorted Yet Disturbing
Timestamp: 38:30
Though the town’s recording equipment failed to capture the full impact of pile driving noise (especially at 55:00), those in the room reported feeling physically uncomfortable. The sound that reached human ears was just 1/1,000th of the actual underwater intensity. Even with bubble curtain mitigation, low-frequency noise escapes—tragically in the same frequencies whales use to communicate.
“Those of us in the room were most definitely made auditorily uncomfortable by the pile driving noise…”
Low-Frequency Turbine Noise Reaching Shore
Low-Frequency Turbine Noise Reaching Shore
Timestamp: 1:01:00
Mr. Rand explains how low-frequency airborne sound travels from turbines to shore, particularly under certain atmospheric conditions.
His modeled results for the Revolution Wind project start at 1:13:30, with a simulated onshore noise recording at 1:23:00. Again, due to the limitations of the recording equipment, actual noise impact is underrepresented—but even the simulation is jarring.
Rand describes the rumble as sounding like “boots in a dryer.”
Expert Testimony: Tyler Macallister
Expert Testimony: Tyler Macallister
Timestamp: 2:16:00
Tyler Macallister, marine biologist and fisheries expert affiliated with Vineyard Wind, the New England Aquarium, and Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute, shared additional concerns from a commercial and ecological standpoint.
Mr. Macallister is also running for U.S. Representative in MA-09, which includes Westport.
Westport Impact: 30–50 Nights a Year
Westport Impact: 30–50 Nights a Year
Under “favorable” sound propagation conditions (expected 120 nights/year), Westport—south of the Revolution Wind project—could be directly impacted 30–50 nights per year, particularly during summer.
Residents may hear:
30 dB of low-frequency noise outdoors
25 dB indoors (with windows open)
What’s Coming...
What’s Coming...
Revolution Wind plans 65 turbines.
Minimum 223 turbines expected off the MA/RI coast.
Possibly over 500 turbines if SouthCoast Wind and New England Wind proceed.
These turbines would emit low-frequency airborne and underwater noise on a scale previously unseen in our region.
Relevant Articles
Relevant Articles
Five Offshore Wind Projects Move Ahead, As Do Key Lawsuits Aiming to Stop Them
By Linda Bonvie
No More Easy Ride: The OBBB’s Reckoning for Wind and Solar
By Lisa Linowes – An examination of how new federal policies, supply chain issues, and tightening tax credit eligibility are slowing the pace of renewable energy development.
Next Steps
Next Steps
🗓️ Mark your calendar:
The next OSWAC meeting is scheduled for October 9, 2025.
📣 Speak up:
Help us protect our waters, our marine life, and the peace of our coastal community.
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