Law Firm Pressures Brown University Over Offshore Wind Research

Brown University is facing legal pressure from Marzulla Law LLC, a firm representing opponents of offshore wind farms, demanding the retraction of research linking anti-wind groups such as Green Oceans to the fossil fuel industry. The law firm labeled Brown’s Climate and Development Lab research as “false and injurious” and threatened to escalate complaints to major public and private research funders, including the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation. Brown University has affirmed its commitment to academic freedom, emphasizing that scholars independently shape their research and openly debate contested topics. The dispute arises amid broader political resistance to offshore wind projects, with the Trump administration halting the $6.2 billion Revolution Wind project off Rhode Island, which Marzulla Law’s client Green Oceans opposes. Green Oceans denies the allegations, asserting it is a local, nonpartisan group with no fossil fuel ties. This conflict highlights the contentious intersection of clean energy development, legal challenges, and academic research in the current political climate.