Paper Title
Environmental Issues On Offshore Wind Energy Development In India

Abstract
The increasing demand for energy, due to rapid industrial growth, has led to the depletion of conventional fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas and crude oil. These fuels are not only getting exhausted, but have also become a major contributor for environmental degradation. Hence, the need to develop clean and environmental friendly renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar energy is imperative. Amongst all the renewable energy sources, except direct solar heat and light, wind energy is considered to be one of the mature technologies having least adverse environmental effects. However, there are potential environmental impacts due to the development, installation and operation of turbines used for harnessing wind energy. This paper aims to provide an over view of environmental impacts of offshore wind farms in India on marine species and commercial shipping. Furthermore, the damage caused to the benthic species in the benthic zone, the impact on birds and fishes, construction noise, climatic changes are also discussed. Keywords— Wind energy, environmental impacts, offshore, India, Benthic zone, marine life, construction.