New Jersey has set a goal of generating 50% of its energy from renewable sources by the year 2030 – and 100% clean energy by 2050.
Central to this plan is the construction of multiple ocean wind farms, including nearly one hundred, 900-foot tall turbines built 15 miles off the coast of Atlantic City.
These projects promise to provide clean electricity to residents as well as high paying jobs in the construction and energy fields. However, the projects also face challenges. An unprecedented number of dead whales have turned up on Jersey shore beaches and opponents say wind projects must stop. Some conservationists have raised concerns about the impact on marine life and birds. Some residents say the massive wind turbines will ruin ocean views and affect property values and tourism. And many of the details how they will transmit power to the land are still in process.
To help residents follow the latest developments in New Jersey’s offshore wind projects, we offer a monthly roundup of some of the most important news and updates:
February 2023
- Why 23 Dead Whales Have Washed Up on the East Coast Since December (Feb. 28, 2023 – New York Times)
- Offshore wind critics try to block New Jersey grid link (Feb. 28, 2023 – National Fisherman)
- Biden’s Offshore Wind Dreams Face Rising Controversy, Opposition (Feb. 27, 2023 – Forbes)
- Offshore wind halt urged by Native Americans seeking sway (Feb. 27, 2023 – Bloomberg News)
- Dead whales on the east coast fuel misinformation about offshore wind development (Feb. 25, 2023 – NPR)
- Federal whale commission ties strandings to population growth, not offshore wind (Feb. 24, 2023 – National Fisherman)
- 30 N.J. mayors call for moratorium on offshore wind activity and further investigation into whale deaths (Feb. 24, 2023 – WHYY)
- No Calls For Offshore Wind Moratorium In Lacey: Heres Why (Feb. 24, 2023 – Patch)
- Citing ‘disinformation,’ Murphy will not stop N.J. offshore wind work after whale deaths (Feb. 22, 2023 – NJ.com)
- Marine commission: Whale deaths not linked to wind prep work (Feb. 22, 2023 – ABC News)
- Growing group of mayors at odds with experts over whale deaths and offshore windmills (Feb., 21, 2023 – USA Today)
- State demand for offshore wind nearly doubled in 2022: report (Feb. 21, 2023 – The Hill)
- Wind Turbines (and Lawsuits) Are Coming to the Jersey Shore (Feb. 21, 2023 – Governing)
- Some communities calling for halt to wind work have accepted Ørsted-backed grants (Feb. 20, 2023 – Press of Atlantic City)
- Another whale death leads to new offshore wind legislation by N.J. House Republicans (Feb. 20, 2023 – NJ.com)
- NJ uses new law to bypass local OK for offshore wind project (Feb. 17, 2023 – Press of AC)
- NJEDA expands offshore wind fellowship program (Feb. 9, 2023 – NJBIZ)
- Watching the New Jersey Wind Port take shape (Feb. 7, 2023 – Thirteen)
- NY/NJ Offshore Wind Farms Hit by Misinformation (Feb. 7, 2023 – Public News Service)
- Fox News is rapidly escalating its anti-offshore wind campaign (Feb. 3, 2023 – Media Matters)
January 2023
- 12 NJ coastal mayors sign letter to halt offshore wind activity after 8th whale found dead at Lido Beach (Jan. 31, 2023 – News12)
- Offshore wind faces a whale of a problem (Jan. 30, 2023 – Politico)
- Why whale deaths are dividing environmentalists — and firing up Tucker Carlson (Jan. 29, 2023 – Politico)
- Offshore wind will need major investments in transmission, supply chain, reports say (Jan. 28, 2023 – New Jersey Monitor)
- Ocean City Calls for Halt to Offshore Wind Activity Amid Whale Deaths (Jan. 23, 2023 – OCNJ Daily)
- Action urged to bring ashore power generated by wind farms (Jan. 25, 2023 – NJ Spotlight)
- Dead whales and tough economics bedevil Biden’s massive wind energy push (Jan. 25, 2023 – Washington Post)
- Whales navigate a perilous route off the Jersey Shore (Jan. 20, 2023 – Philadelphia Inquirer)
- Whales navigate a perilous route off the Jersey Shore (Jan. 18, 2023 – NJ.com)
- Economic challenges stack up for offshore wind (Jan. 18, 2023 – NJ Spotlight News)
- ‘No Evidence’ Offshore Wind Farm Prep Is Killing Whales in NJ and NY, Groups Say (Jan. 17, 2023 – NBC New York)
- PSEG to sell its 25% equity stake in Ocean Wind 1 to Ørsted (Jan. 17, 2023 – ROI-NJ)
- Inflation could add billions to offshore wind price tag, NJ Rate Counsel says (Jan. 13, 2023 – Asbury Park Press)
- Lease Costs for Offshore Wind Firms at NJ Facility Unknown (Jan. 13, 2023 – NBC Philadelphia)
- NJ governor: No pause in wind farm prep after 7th dead whale (Jan. 13, 2023 – Associated Press)
- Second major tenant announced at New Jersey Wind Port (Jan. 12, 2023 – NJBIZ)
- EDA lures new offshore-wind developer to NJ wind port (Jan 12, 2023 – NJ Spotlight News)
- Coalition of 13 environmental groups offers strong support for offshore wind projects (Jan. 10, 2023 – ROI-NJ)
- Groups seek probe of NY-NJ whale deaths amid wind power prep (Jan. 10, 2023 – Associated Press)
- Unexplained deaths of whales on beaches lead to call of halt in offshore wind development (Jan. 3, 2023 – NJ Spotlight News)
- Offshore wind company with NJ project seeks slowdown on Mass. wind farm due to global economic conditions (Jan. 3, 2023 – Asbury Park Press)
December 2022
- Upper Township residents eye impact of Ocean Wind 1 (Nov. 30, 2022 – Ocean City Sentinel)
- New Jersey wind port sailing along (Nov. 29, 2022 – Yahoo! Finance)
- $1 billion to expand offshore wind transmission in NJ (Nov. 17, 2022 – Patch)
- Fiscal headwinds challenge offshore projects (Nov. 16, 2022 – NJ Spotlight News)
- US offshore wind energy industry faces blowback from NJ Shore residents (Nov. 15, 2022 – NBC10 Philadelphia)
- Wind farm public hearing draws passionate statements from the community (Nov. 15, 2022 – DownBeach.com)
- Inflation’s next victim: U.S. offshore wind projects (Nov. 15, 2022 – E&E EnergyWire)
- Offshore wind turbines could generate power in Ocean City, N.J. (Nov. 14, 2022 – CBS Philadelphia
- A public hearing on Ocean Wind’s plan to run energy cables through the Ocean City beach to be held Monday (Nov. 13, 2022 – Philadelphia Inquirer)
- Ocean City, County oppose transmission line for offshore wind farm (Nov. 10, 2022 – OCNJ Daily)
- Our view: NJ needs federal help paying to bring wind power ashore (Nov. 9. 2022 – Press of Atlantic City)
- NJ’s energy storage plan hits resistance (Nov. 9, 2022 – NJ Spotlight News)
- PSEG may cut offshore wind investment (Nov. 2, 2022 – NJ Spotlight)
November 2022
- Offshore wind: Great-paying jobs are coming — ensuring there are workers ready for them is the challenge (Oct. 31. 2022 – ROI-NJ)
- NJBPU selects offshore wind transmission project (Oct. 28, 2022- renews.biz)
- NJ clears $1.1 billion in ocean wind powerline projects (Oct. 26, 2022 – Bloomberg)
- New Jersey lawmaker promises to hold hearings over offshore wind (Oct. 19, 2022 – Undercurrent News)
- Op-Ed: Offshore wind will help save Long Beach Island (Oct. 17, 2022 – NJ Spotlight)
- Ørsted aims to use digital operations HQ in Newark to create STEM career paths for residents (Oct. 13, 2022 – ROI-NJ)
- Decades before ocean wind farm, government planned to build off-shore nuclear power plant at Jersey Shore (Oct. 12, 2022 – Shore News Network)
- Op-Ed: Another step toward New Jersey’s clean-energy future (Oct 12, 2022 – NJ Spotlight News)
- Brigantine residents express concerns about offshore wind projects (Oct. 12, 2022 – Press of Atlantic City)
- Why wind energy/clean energy could be big win for N.J.’s manufacturing sector (Oct. 11, 2022 – ROI-NJ)
- As offshore wind plans grow, so does the need for transmission ; limitations and possible plans for offshore transmission system (Oct. 10, 2022- wbur)
- Offshore wind farm is “best option” for Island (Oct. 6, 2022 – Jersey Evening Post)
- NJ is ‘the nation’s center of offshore wind,’ Murphy say (Oct. 4, 2022 – PBS – NJ Spotlight News/PBS)
- For offshore wind aspirations to become reality, transmission hurdles must be cleared (Oct. 4, 2022 – New Jersey Monitor)
- NJ OK’s offshore wind project grid link over local opposition (Oct. 3, 2022 – Engineering News-Record)