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. 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 raise concerns. Opponents have called for wind projects to stop, citing the high number of whales deaths on the East Coast. 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.  As a result, the topic of offshore wind power has become a highly-charged, political issue.

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:

May 2023

  • Q&A: FDU pollster on shifting attitudes toward offshore wind (May 30, 2023 – NJ Spotlight)
  • Blue state county votes unanimously against offshore wind development (May 26, 2023 – Fox News)
  • New Jersey’s Cape May County opposes Ørsted’s offshore wind plans (May 26, 2023 – Renewables Now)
  • Environmental Analysis Of Ocean City Offshore Wind Farm Complete (May 24, 2023 – Patch OCNJ)
  • March planned against offshore wind turbines in Ocean City (May 24, 2023 – Press of Atlantic City)
  • BOEM completes its environmental analysis of offshore wind project off New Jersey (May 24, 2023 – Safety4Sea)
  • Lawmakers warn BPU chief against any new subsidies to offshore wind (May 24, 2023 – NJ Spotlight)
  • Final impact of Ocean Wind 1 (May 24, 2023 – Ocean City Sentinel)
  • Wind Farm Gets Green Light From Federal Environmental Analysis (May 23, 2023 – OCNJ Daily)
  • Offshore wind projects inch closer to construction (May 23, 2023 – NJ Spotlight)
  • Biden administration completes environmental analysis for New Jersey coast wind farm (May 23, 2023 – Undercurrent News)
  • Another permit keeps offshore wind project on course (May 23, 2023 – NJ Spotlight)
  • Atlantic Shores offshore wind project takes next step forward (May 22, 2023 – NJ Biz)
  • New Jersey official says recent spate of whale deaths is linked to climate change (May 19, 2023 – WHYY)
  • Why are whales dying? NJ lawmakers hear expert opinions (May 18, 2023 – NJ Spotlight)
  • New Jersey Offshore Wind Projects Reach Federal Permitting Milestone (Offshorewind.biz  – May 16, 2023)
  • BOEM analysis considers fish habitat, visual mitigation for New Jersey wind project (WorkBoat – May 15, 2023)
  • Snooki, Tucker Carlson and the battle for offshore wind in New Jersey (Politico – May 15, 2023)
  • Should N.J. halt offshore wind farms? Poll results change when dead whales mentioned. (NJ.com – May 15, 2023)
  • FDU: NJ Residents Support Halting Offshore Wind Project as Whale Deaths Mount  (North-Jersey News – May 12, 2023)
  • Poll: N.J. split on offshore wind farms, but whale and dolphin deaths affect support (New Jersey Globe – May 11, 2023)
  • Divide Deepens as Offshore Wind Development Moves Forward (The Sand Paper  – May 10, 2023)
  • Offshore Wind Developer Sues Ocean City Over Transmission Line (Patch OCNJ – May 9, 2023)
  • Ocean City, Wind Farm Developer Clash in Legal Fight (OCNJ Daily – May 8, 2023)
  • Offshore wind provides New Jersey opportunities for green power and jobs (State Broadcast News – May 8, 2023)
  • Four whales die in 4 days: Wind farms creating ‘death zone’ at sea says ex-Greenpeace boss (May 8, 2023 – New York Post)
  • The US offshore wind’s pipeline is now 51+ GW – here’s where it’s happening (May 5, 2023 – Electeck)
  • N.J. GOP seeks wind projects halt to see if whales benefit (May 4, 2023 – Associated Press)
  • Their job is to make sure offshore wind boats don’t hit whales. Here’s what they’ve seen at sea. (May 3, 20230 – NJ.com )
  • Calls for wind development moratorium abound at Senate GOP hearing (May 3, 2023 – New Jersey Globe)
  • Sweeney is all in on offshore wind industry (May 3, 2023 – NJ Spotlight)
  • Offshore wind power conference held at Rowan University; advocates say there’s no evidence its killing whales (May 2, 2023 – News 12)
  • Immediate openings: Ørsted and Rowan College of S.J. seeking 1st class for offshore wind industry training program (May 3, 2023 – ROI-NJ)
  • Offshore wind sails past regulatory hurdle (May 2, 2023 – NJ Spotlight)

April 2023

  • Hearing on harmful effects of offshore wind farms on whales and businesses scheduled (April 30, 2023 – Shore News Network)
  • NJ’s first offshore wind project takes big step forward (April 28, 2023 – NJBiz)
  • New Jersey eyes grid boost to handle extra offshore wind (April 28, 2023 – Windpower Monthly)
  • NJ Senators announce independent hearing on recent whale deaths, offshore wind development (April 28, 2023 – Downbeach)
  • NJ pitches faster, cheaper way to bring power from offshore wind farms (April 27, 2023 – NJ Spotlight)
  • North Atlantic Right Whale, Harbor Seals Focus of New Offshore Wind Studies (April 27, 2023 – SandPaper.net)
  • PJM, New Jersey Reach Next Milestone on Offshore Wind Goals (April 27, 2023 – New Jersey Business Magazine)
  • Why Democrats say the NJ, Atlantic coast is under threat from oil and gas drilling (April 25, 2023 – Asbury Park Press)
  • Panel: Climate change, not wind prep, is threat to whales (April 24, 2023 – Associated Press)
  • NJ Announces Additional $2M to Fund Offshore Wind Studies (April 24, 2023 – Cape May County Herald)
  • County Contests Tx Easement for NJ’s 1st OSW Project (April 24, 2023 – RTO Insider)
  • NY/NJ Elected Officials Celebrate Offshore Wind During Earth Month (April 24, 2023 – Public News Service)
  • Murphy to use $2 million in offshore wind funds on whale detection, seal studies (April 20, 2023 – Asbury Park Press)
  • Whale-listening buoy at Jersey Shore part of $8.5M fund to study offshore wind impact (April 20, 2023 – NJ.com)
  • Congressional Democrats demand ‘real solutions’ to marine mammal deaths (April 19, 2023 – NJ Spotlight)
  • Business meeting highlights economic opportunities of offshore wind (April 19, 2023 – Press of AC)
  • New Jersey Republicans move to campaign on offshore wind (April 17, 2023 – National Fisherman)
  • Environmental scientists urge more straight talk about oceans (April 14, 2023 – NJ Spotlight)
  • Should N.J. fisheries be worried about offshore wind farms? Study elicits more questions. (April 10, 2023 – NJ.com)
  • Wind project may ‘adversely affect,’ but not likely to ‘jeopardize,’ endangered marine life, agency says (April 7, 2023 – New Jersey Monitor)
  • NJ wind farm may ‘adversely affect,’ not kill whales, NOAA report says (April 6, 2023 – ABC7NY)
  • Monmouth County officials call for pause on offshore wind development due to marine mammal deaths (April 5, 2023 – News 12 New Jersey)
  • New Jersey offshore wind project won’t threaten whales’ survival, NOAA says (April 4, 2023 – National Fisherman)
  • Rutgers Center Q&A: No evidence ties whale deaths to offshore wind industry (April 4, 2023 – ROI-NJ)
  • Republicans’ War With Offshore Wind (April 4, 2023 – Newsweek)

March 2023

  • No Evidence Offshore Wind Development Killing Whales (March 31, 2023 – FactCheck.org)
  • Report by feds, anglers cites offshore wind impacts on fish (March 31, 2023 – Associated Press)
  • Why Republicans suddenly hate offshore wind (March 31, 2023 – E&E)
  • US Energy Department Releases Strategy for Offshore Wind (March 31, 2023 – Cape May County Herald)
  • House passes Smith, Van Drew amendments on offshore wind development (March 30, 2023 – New Jersey Globe)
  • Protesters rally against offshore wind energy development in Trenton, New Jersey, following series of whale, dolphin strandings (March 30, 2023 – 6ABC)
  • Wind energy protestors rally at NJ Statehouse (March 30, 2023 – New Jersey 101.5)
  • Offshore wind opponents demand immediate halt to wind farm development (March 30, 2023 – NJ Spotlight)
  • Dem senators from 4 states ask NOAA to address whale deaths (March 29, 2023 – Associated Press)
  • US needs vessels, faster permits to hit offshore wind targets (March 29, 2023 – Reuters)
  • Save LBI offshore wind farm suit could get dumped, but here is why it has one more chance (March 28, 2023 – Asbury Park Press)
  • Republicans Propose Nationwide Offshore Wind Ban, Citing Unsubstantiated Links to Whale Deaths (March 24, 2023 – Inside Climate News)
  • How South Jersey officials are reacting to mammal strandings at shore (March 23, 2023 – Courier Post)
  • Van Drew introduces offshore wind moratorium after Sea Isle City dolphin deaths (March 22, 2023 – Press of Atlantic City)
  • Dead whales prompt offshore wind meeting but crowd claims many other worries, theories (March 17, 2023 – NJ.com)
  • GOP offshore wind hearing underlines battle over whale strandings (March 17, 2023 – NJ Spotlight)
  • Hundreds Attend Session On Offshore Wind Project In Ocean City (March 16, 2023 – Patch)
  • Dead whales off NJ coast should be investigated, and wind farm plan should paused, opponents say (March 16, 2023 – Inquirer)
  • Dead whales prompt offshore wind meeting but crowd claims many other worries, theories (March 15, 2023 – NJ.com)
  • Officials, crowd almost unanimously opposed to offshore wind at Ocean City meeting (March 15, 2023 – Press of Atlantic City)
  • Ahead of GOP hearing, N.J. stresses no link between offshore wind and whale deaths (March 15, 2023 – NJ Monitor)
  • Three public meetings planned on wind power projects (March 13, 2023 – Press of Atlantic City)
  • The East Coast Whale Die-Offs: Unraveling the Causes (March 8, 2023 – Yale360)
  • NJ wants more developers for offshore wind projects (March 7, 2023 – NJ Spotlight)
  • These groups fighting offshore wind say it’s about whales—but they’re funded by Big Oil (March 1, 2023 – Fast Company)
  • Wind and whales: ‘No evidence’ links projects to deaths (March 1, 2023 – NJ Monitor)

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)