OCEAN CITY, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — A wind farm project off the New Jersey coast continues to generate ire and worry from residents.
At a community meeting in Ocean City Wednesday night, a few people spoke up in favor of Gov. Phil Murphy’s plans to develop hundreds of wind turbines in the Atlantic Ocean, excited for the jobs and clean energy it would create. But most voiced opposition to it, citing concerns about the impact on the local economy, the fishing industry and coastal views.
“We have nothing in Ocean City to support our community except tourism,” said Suzanne Hornick, one of the founders of Protect Our Coast NJ. “There’s no industry here. There’s nothing.”
Critics have also linked wind farm development to the recent uptick in whale deaths along the coast, but scientists and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection say there is no connection.
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Murphy has pushed for hundreds of new turbines to be built by the company Orsted as a way to make the state less dependent on fossil fuels.
The windmills would stand in federal waters, but underground work would come up to shore. The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities overruled and bypassed local opposition.
Murphy's wind farm plan promises to generate enough energy to power half the homes in the state by 2035.
Michael Donahue, special counsel for Cape May County, said more legal challenges could be on the horizon.
“It’s the unknown,” he said. “We should have some assurance that if they install these things, we’re not going to lose our economy.”
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Cape May County officials said they will continue to fight and appeal to stall the project.
Orsted has not responded to KYW Newsradio’s request for comment.