© Steve Heaslip / USA TODAY NETWORK
off-shore wind, offshore wind, wind power
(Long Branch, NJ) – Members of the activist group Clean Ocean Action are holding an event today in Long Branch, New Jersey, and calling for offshore wind development to be delayed. They’re rallying at Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park and issuing a directive to Governor Phil Murphy, lawmakers, and the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities — saying the state must prioritize the need to protect the environment and economy.
Clean Ocean Action is a plaintiff in a lawsuit filed on Tuesday, in which Cape May County is challenging Ocean Wind 1, a wind farm being developed 15 miles off the coast of southern New Jersey. They say that, “in the name of good governance, fiscal responsibility, and environmental stewardship, Clean Ocean Action is spearheading a campaign to bring responsibility and rationality to offshore wind energy development. Especially amid the recent and growing challenges, the magnitude, scale, scope, and speed of current offshore wind development is reckless.” The group also plans to call attention to the Empire Wind project, which is proposed to be built about 15 miles south of Jones Beach, on Long Island.
Meanwhile, representatives of the clean power industry push back against the claims made in the lawsuit. Moira Cyphers serves as Director of Eastern Region State Affairs with the American Clean Power Association. In a statement shared with 77 WABC, she says: “Some opponents of clean energy are resorting to meritless tactics that ignore the majority of New Jerseyans who support clean, reliable, and homegrown offshore wind. Offshore wind is one of the most rigorously regulated industries in the nation and is critical for meeting New Jersey’s clean energy and environmental goals. Shore towns can’t wait for years and years for these projects to be constructed. The time to move forward is now.”
