As the sun set Sunday night at the Cove, tensions rose at what was another strong showing for opponents to offshore wind farms. About 100 people gathered on a cold, windy evening at the southern-most point of New Jersey to keep the light on the fight against offshore wind companies with a cairn lighting. But one man spoke our after U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-2nd, rallied the crowd against windmills, questioning everyone there if they truly believe whales are dying as a result off offshore wind site preparation work. Mark Heany, a city resident since 1995, was met with shouts of disapproval after he interrupted the lineup of speakers. A few people got in his face to argue. Four Cape May police officers, who were there to make sure things stayed peaceful, intervened as Heaney and others argued just inches apart. 9 Photos, >>click to read<< 10:23
Tag Archives: New Jersey
‘Catastrophic failure’: Efforts to salvage fishing trawler Susan Rose end with it sinking
The salvage of the Susan Rose, the fishing boat that ran aground in Point Pleasant Beach, was going as planned early Sunday when water started coursing into the 48-year-old commercial trawler with eight crew members on board, the salvage company owner said. The boat ended up sinking about a half mile offshore during the salvage operation. Northstar Marine Services of Cape May County was handling the salvage operation. Photos, video >>click to read<< 07:07
F/V Susan Rose: Fishing boat that ran aground off N.J. sinks
A 77-foot commercial fishing boat that ran aground three blocks from the Manasquan Inlet in Point Pleasant Beach last week sank while it was being towed from the area, a U.S. Coast Guard spokesman said Sunday. The Coast Guard received a report of the boat being beached shortly before 5 a.m. Friday. Crews worked all day Saturday to get the boat afloat. As a salvage company was towing it away, the vessel sank in 48 feet of water about a half mile from Manasquan Inlet around 2 a.m. Sunday, U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer First Class Matthew West said. >>click to read<< 13:39
Commercial fishing boat Susan Rose grounded at Point Pleasant Beach – Photos
A commercial fishing boat that beached here early Friday morning drew a crowd of curious onlookers on what was a sun-splashed fall day. The boat is a 98-foot commercial trawler that a witness says was approaching the Manasquan Inlet but instead it came ashore at the north end of Point Pleasant Beach. The boat is named Susan Rose and hails from Port Judith, Rhode Island, according to MarineTraffic.com, which monitors boat traffic, and commercial fishermen from the Point Pleasant Fishermen’s Cooperative Dock. Capt. Jim Lovgren, who sits on the Co-op’s executive board, said the boat is part of The Town Dock fleet in Narragansett and is here in New Jersey fishing for sea bass and fluke, and has been delivering its catch to the co-op dock. The Town Dock was not able to be reached for comment. 8 photos, >>click to read<< 14:34
77-foot fishing boat runs aground on Jersey Shore beach
Firefighters and emergency workers rescued three people from a 77-foot fishing boat that ran aground in Point Pleasant Beach early Friday, officials said. A fourth person was already out of the fishing vessel Susan Rose when firefighters and EMS arrived on the beach about three blocks south of the Manasquan Inlet, Point Pleasant Beach Fire Chief Ira Waldman said. The Coast Guard received a report about the beached boat shortly before 5 a.m. and sent a boat to assist, a spokesman said. >>click to read<< 09:09
Murphy Tagged $1 Billion of Ratepayer Subsidies to Bailout Failed Foreign Wind Energy Corporation
Senator Michael Testa recently addressed the withdrawal of Ørsted, a Danish wind energy company, from the Ocean Wind 1 & 2 offshore wind farm projects in New Jersey. Testa’s comments highlighted the complexities and controversies surrounding the state’s investment in green energy. Testa criticized the allocation of state funds, including a $1 billion investment in Ørsted’s projects, as a burden on taxpayers and ratepayers. He described the investment as “a drop in the ocean,” underscoring his view that the funds were insufficient to achieve the intended goals. Additionally, Testa expressed concern about the establishment of a $5 million wind institute, which he perceives as a “propaganda arm” of the wind industry. >>click to read<< 14:50
Cape May County Declares Victory Against Wind Farms
Jubilant Cape May County officials Wednesday celebrated the decision by Danish energy giant Orsted to scrap plans for two wind energy farms off the South Jersey coast, but expressed caution about the possibility that the projects could be resurrected later. “You know, there were many people that said to us, ‘Don’t take on this company. Don’t take on Orsted. They have the White House. They have the Statehouse.’ But unfortunately, they didn’t know about the courthouse,” Cape May County Board of Commissioners Director Leonard Desiderio said. During a news conference, Desiderio and other Republican Cape May County officials repeatedly said the tiny county was able to overcome the political support of President Joe Biden’s Democratic administration and Gov. Phil Murphy in favor of Orsted and the wind farm industry. >>click to read<< 10:32
New Jersey reacts to Ørsted Ocean Wind cancellation shocker
The aftermath is still unfolding Wednesday afternoon — and causing a lot of questions, drama and uncertainty in the state. It all comes against the backdrop of next week’s legislative elections (with offshore wind a central campaign issue in many races), when all 120 seats are up for grabs.Gov. Phil Murphy and legislative leaders all responded with strongly worded statements and reactions, which came ripping through email boxes and across social media accounts in the evening hours on Halloween, which you can read more about here. That continued Wednesday — especially from Republican lawmakers and leaders, who have long questioned the feasibility of offshore wind as well as its potential impacts, leaning into the issue heavily on the campaign trail. >>click to read<< 17:20
Developer cancels plans for 2 N.J. offshore wind farms. Outraged Murphy rips company
Danish company Ørsted announced Tuesday night it will “cease development” for what was slated to be New Jersey’s first offshore wind farm, as well as plans for its second project. It’s a blow to Gov. Phil Murphy’s ambitious clean energy goals and a stunning development for environmentalists supporting the energy alternative, once thought to be operational at the Jersey Shore between 2025 and 2026. Murphy said in his statement that Ørsted’s decision to “abandon its commitments to New Jersey is outrageous and calls into question the company’s credibility and competence.” “As recently as several weeks ago,” Murphy said, “the company made public statements regarding the viability and progress of the Ocean Wind 1 project.” >>click to read<< 07:08
An Opportunity for Neighbors in Ocean City to Voice Opinions on Offshore Wind?
On Tuesday night, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management held a public meeting at Ocean City Elementary. However, many thought it was a public hearing, which caused some confusion and frustration. By 5:00 p.m., hundreds of people had funneled into Ocean City Elementary, eager to voice any complaints or compliments. Ocean City’s Mayor, Rick Meehan, said the lack of opportunity to speak out loud did not allow the meeting to start off on the right foot. “They were mad and a lot of people left,” said Meehan. “They were very discouraged by the opportunity that was presented to them to speak on something that is very important to this area.” Commercial fishermen like Jimmy Hahn are worried about the future. “I’m scared to death that the windmills are going to kill our fishing industry,” said Hahn. Hahn said the lease area is the primary fishing spot out of Ocean City and is also used by fisherman from Delaware and New Jersey. >>click to read<< 15:54
Brigantine Joins With Long Beach Twp. to Oppose Wind Farm Project
Voting 6-1, Brigantine City Council approved a resolution at its Oct. 18 meeting to enter into a shared services agreement with Long Beach Township to engage in litigation against the development of the proposed Atlantic Shores offshore wind project. Brigantine is joined by the Boroughs of Barnegat Light, Harvey Cedars, Surf City, Ship Bottom and Beach Haven, with Long Beach Township serving as the lead agent for the shared services agreement. “First and foremost, this is a nonpartisan issue, with people on both sides of the aisle, from all over the state, voicing their concerns about the negative impacts these offshore wind projects will have on the environment and our local economy,” Brigantine Mayor Vince Sera said in a news release. >>click to read<< 07:40
Local Legends in Fishing Boots: Founding Viking Village Dock
Utility green, calf-high dockside boots – “Daddy’s boots,” as Barnegat Light Historical Society President Karen Larson knows the sight – were the launch step into gripping stories of two local legendary captains and families who started the now-flourishing Viking Village commercial dock enterprise on a shoestring and a need to keep a town’s industry alive. The tribute program at the Barnegat Light Museum on Sept. 14 centered on the dock’s development by her late father, Barnegat Light Historical Society President Karen Larson the late Louis Puskas Jr. and their wives, Marion Larson, who died this year, and Frances Puskas. Viking Village Inc. Commercial Seafood Producers at the 18th Street bayside grew from Independent Dock, built in the 1920s by first-generation Norwegian fishermen plying their trade. It’s now an industry leader responsibly producing prime sea scallops and fish dinners for restaurant tables in New York, Chicago and internationally. The museum talk covered history but more so pulled up seats to memories told around the table, by no-fear fishermen themselves. Photos, >>click ti read<< 20:57
Another legal challenge to NJ offshore wind farm project
In a lawsuit filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in New Jersey, commercial fishing and tourism interests and a conservation group joined Cape May County in accusing federal agencies of ignoring and violating laws designed to protect the environment and marine life. The dispute is the latest that threatens to delay the project, which also faces stiff financial challenges that have led officials from Ørsted, a Danish company, to consider pulling out of building the 98-turbine project. Ørsted’s Ocean Wind I, a 1,100-megawatt project about 15 miles offshore from Atlantic City, is entangled in assorted court battles. Orsted has sued Cape May County and Ocean City over delays in obtaining permits while the state faces challenges over its approval of the project from local groups. >>click to read<< 07:09
Against the wind
Visiting southern New Jersey this summer, I kept seeing yard signs that read “Stop the Windmills—Save Our Coast.” The posters were rallying opposition to the massive Ocean Wind 1 power project 15 miles off the Jersey shore near Atlantic City. That constellation of 853-foot-high wind turbines is supposed to start construction any day now, although delays and financial uncertainties have hampered the project. Ocean Wind 1 is planned to be one of more than two dozen huge wind projects off the East Coast from South Carolina to Maine. If it ever gets built. Which it won’t if the residents of South Jersey have anything to say about it. >>click to read<< 08:56
Murphy, Biden continue to ignore serious offshore wind questions | Chris Smith
Because both the Murphy and Biden Administrations are forcing approximately 3,400 ocean wind turbines on us without our input, advice or consent. We say no—enough is enough. Because Murphy and Biden have not answered any of our profoundly serious questions—even dismissing our well-founded concern that sonar mapping of the ocean floor is contributing to the tragic spike in whale and dolphin deaths as ‘disinformation.’ We say no—enough is enough. And because there is absolutely no transparency in this egregiously flawed process—I authored two pieces of legislation that passed the House of Representatives to demand accountability. My first amendment, which passed in late March 244 to 189, tasked the Government Accountability Office—the Congressional watchdog agency—to investigate the ‘sufficiency of the environmental review processes for offshore wind projects…of the Marine Fisheries Service, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and any other relevant Federal agency.’ >>click to read<< 21:41
U.S. offshore wind plans are utterly collapsing
Offshore wind developer Ørsted has delayed its New Jersey Ocean Wind 1 project to 2026. Previously, the company had announced construction of the project would begin in October 2023. The delay was attributed to supply chain issues, higher interest rates, and a failure so far to garner enough tax credits from the federal government. For now, they are not walking away from all their U.S. projects but will reconsider long-term plans by the end of this year. Ørsted’s stock price has fallen 30% in 5 days. This is just the latest bad news for offshore win. >>click to read<<10:57
Jersey Shore mobilises against offshore wind power
Soaring costs, high interest rates and clogged supply chains have buffeted the offshore wind power industry as it tries to expand from Europe to the US east coast. Add to these another obstacle: increasingly vocal and organized opponents who live or work along the beachfront. Their campaign threatens to slow down the Biden administration’s push to reach 30 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2030, up from a minimal amount today. They are nowhere more active than in New Jersey, whose own goal of 11GW by 2040 is the most ambitious of any eastern state. “[We] will do whatever it takes to stop this,” said Paul Kanitra, the mayor of Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey. “If that means lawsuits, we’ll do lawsuits. If that means we literally need to form a flotilla and go out there and stop it ourselves, we’ll do that as well.” The opponents raise fears of harm to marine life and fisheries, and ocean views marred by spinning wind turbines. They have formed groups with names such as Protect Our Coast NJ and Save Long Beach Island. >>click to read<< 16:43
Biden Administration Is Killing Whales and Covering it Up
The Biden Administration is rushing headlong to start the massive construction of offshore wind power projects off the East Coast. The wind industry calls these installations “farms.” In no way, shape, or form do they resemble bucolic farms. Fortunately, several citizen groups have been formed which are vigorously opposing this massive industrialization of the ocean. The two leading organizations are Save Right Whales Coalition, lead by Lisa Linowes, and Save Long Beach Island, lead by Dr. Robert Stern. In addition, Michael Shellenberger has produced a terrific documentary, Thrown to the Wind, which provides an eye-opening view into the real world of noise produced by so called survey ships. Save LBI has also initiated litigation in New Jersey federal court seeking to revoke the permits issued by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) authorizing this pre-construction activity. By Collister Johnson. >>click to read<< 09:26
Offshore wind projects may be cancelled in NJ, according to report
Already facing a series of lawsuits and opposition from state and local officials, Danish wind power developer Orsted is reporting huge financial losses. Those losses, company officials warned, could reach $2.3 billion in the U.S and may force the cancellation of projects of the New Jersey coast. In a conference call with investors, Orsted CEO Mads Nipper told them, “If the walk-away scenario is the economical, rational decision for us, then this remains a real scenario for us.” Orsted is considering “walking away” from or cancelling projects in New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Maryland. >>click to read<< 08:48
Survey: Support for wind energy drops in New Jersey
Support for offshore wind development in New Jersey has dropped dramatically in recent years as projects near construction, according to polling released Monday. Just over half of residents, around 54 percent, approve of offshore wind farm construction, according to the Monmouth University survey, a decrease from 76 percent in 2019 and 84 percent in 2011. At least 60 whales have died on the East Coast since preparations for the first project near Atlantic City began in December, but multiple studies from federal and state agencies have not found evidence linking the deaths with wind farms. The wind turbine projects have been celebrated by the state government and the Biden administration as ways to encourage green energy production in well-developed areas. >>click to read<< 15:45
Senator Vin Gopal Says Whale Deaths are a Right Wing Conspiracy Theory
New Jersey Democrat Senator Vin Gopal, a key ally in New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s mission to build wind turbines from Cape May to Sandy Hook said conspiracy theorists are linking a massive increase in whale deaths to offshore wind energy. When asked during a news 12 interview, Gopal, who is also very active politically in Ocean County too, rejected the idea that sonar mapping could be linked to a massive kill-off of whales and dolphins at the Jersey Shore in 2023. When asked if the offshore sonar mapping is responsible for the die off, Gopal was firm. “No, it is not,” he said. Residents criticized Gopal’s conspiracy theory assertion. Video, >click to read< 07:40
Save LBI lays out evidence for cause of whale deaths
On August 4th, 2023, Save Long Beach Island (LBI) filed a lawsuit seeking to enjoin the ongoing offshore wind energy vessel surveys using high intensity noise equipment until a thorough investigation could be done and new protocols developed for estimating noise impacts from wind energy development activities. On August 14th Save LBI responded to defendant and defendant-intervenor motions, laying out in detail the evidence linking the vessel surveys to the recent whale deaths. Evidence of Causation of Whale Deaths by Vessel Surveys -The federal defendant concludes that the vessel surveys are not the cause of the recent whale and dolphin deaths, and that there is no evidence linking the two. In fact, there is ample evidence leading to a conclusion that the surveys were and are the only plausible cause, as summarized below: >click to read< 12:30
Opinion: Offshore wind, marine-life deaths by Carol Frazier
Do you remember the line from “The Wizard of Oz” when Dorothy and her companions are on their way to Oz and are afraid of being attacked? The line was “Lions and tigers and bears – oh my! Lions and tigers and bears – oh my!” Well, I have revised that to “Murphy and Carney and Moore – oh my!” referring to the three Democrat governors of New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland who are absolutely determined to go full steam ahead on offshore wind, no matter what evidence of harm to wildlife and commercial fishing and the economy is presented. I read Doug Miller’s letter to the editor of Aug. 11 with interest, also. Regarding Mr. Miller’s statement that concern about whale deaths is nonsense, I beg to differ. >click to read< 08:54
Hundreds Protest New Jersey’s Offshore Wind Farms
Concerns over the increase in whale and dolphin deaths along the Jersey Shore have ignited protests against Governor Phil Murphy’s support for offshore wind energy. On Tuesday, hundreds of protesters converged in Atlantic City to voice their concerns, backed by a theory linking these deaths to offshore sonar testing. The Jersey Shore has witnessed an unprecedented spike in marine mammal deaths in the past year alone. Activists from the ‘Save Right Whales Coalition’ and other environmental groups are attributing this alarming trend to sonar mapping activities that precede the construction of offshore wind turbines. However, Governor Murphy argues that the rise in marine fatalities is consistent with a long-term trend observed across the East Coast and not exclusively linked to the offshore wind projects in New Jersey. >click to read< 10:32
The NSW commercial fishing industry condemns offshore wind farm proposal for the Hunter and Illawarra regions
Tricia Beatty, Chief Executive Officer of the Professional Fishermen’s Association of NSW said today, “The proposal being considered by the Federal Government is ludicrous and will have a devastating impact on endangered, protected species as well as devastating our commercial fishing families and seafood consumers of New South Wales.” “The studies done to date demonstrates enough evidence that listed threatened species and ecological communities, as well as listed migratory species (protected under international agreements) will be impacted by the proposed wind farms. There is also some opinion amongst the scientific community that there is a link between both the increased mortality rate of whales alongside the expansion of offshore wind infrastructure on the busy coastal cities of New York and New Jersey, although this is still being studied. The areas proposed for the offshore windfarms is in the migratory path of important species such as southern right whales (one of the most endanger large whale species in the world) and humpback whales”, said Ms Beatty. >click to read< 08:40
Save Right Whale Coalition Sickened Over Government Response to Deaths of Whales in NY, NJ
New York and New Jersey are witnessing an alarming increase in whale deaths, with 23 known fatalities in less than a year, sparking concerns and anger among environmental activists and political figures. Critics of offshore wind farm developments, including David Shanker, the New Jersey Spokesperson for Save Right Whales Coalition, are attributing the tragic deaths to sonar blasting activities related to wind turbine construction. A coalition of political figures including Representative Jeff Van Drew (NJ), Representative Jeff Smith (NJ), the Commissioners of Cape May County, and 50 Coastal Mayors have asked President Biden and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy for a moratorium on the sonar blasting to investigate the cause of the whale deaths. However, their pleas have so far been met with silence, even as the Save Right Whale Coalition prepares to release a documentary with evidence linking sonar testing vessels to whale deaths. >click to read< 07:46
The Financial Viability of New Jersey’s Offshore Wind Farms Possibly in Jeopardy
The final nail in the coffin for offshore wind energy projects on the East Coast might be in danger by the policies of the very same people touting clean energy. Politicians like New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and President Joe Biden, more specifically, their economic policies on energy, inflation, labor and equity could be the foundation for the failure of the very programs they are trying to enable. Inflation, supply chain issues, and the increase in goods and services due to raw materials and crude oil prices could eventually sink their plans for massive offshore wind energy farms. New Jersey is not alone in facing challenges with offshore wind energy. Connecticut’s Park City Wind, an 800-megawatt project, also finds itself in danger. >click to read< 11:37
Murphy’s wind turbine project could be stopped by little ole Ocean City, N.J.
Whether you’re a Democrat, Republican or independent, you have to know Phil Murphy is as slick and slippery as they come. Rather than go through the Legislature for approval of his climate cult schemes, he does it through the regulatory process. This way you have no say in the matter. It just gets rammed through by way of the BPU or the DEP. They’re made up of unelected bureaucrats appointed by the governor. Back in March Murphy chose not to reappoint two people that might offer resistance to any of his climate cult nonsense, like getting rid of gas stoves, gasoline-powered cars or giant wind turbines off the Jersey Shore. >click to read< 14:53
Why offshore wind jobs may just be a lot of hot air
Offshore wind developers in the U.S. have promised to create thousands of “million-dollar” jobs. But those dollars won’t flow into New York workers’ paychecks. Rather, they’re just the sum total of the subsidies local taxpayers and utility ratepayers will expend to keep offshore wind afloat, as if New Yorkers’ electric bills aren’t high enough. Consider Ørsted, the Danish government-owned company that is developing the 12-turbine, 132-megawatt Southfork Wind and the 84-turbine, 924-megawatt Sunrise Wind projects, which will be built 30 miles east of Montauk Point, Long Island. Ørsted is also behind the 98-turbine, 1,100 megawatt Ocean Wind project along the southern New Jersey shore, which just rewarded it with several billion dollars in tax credits that were supposed to have been returned to New Jersey ratepayers According to Ørsted’s Southfork Construction and Operations Plan (COP), Southfork will require 166 construction workers each year during the two-year construction period and another 10 jobs each year for operation and maintenance over the project’s 25-year expected lifespan. >click to read< 09:35
Perplexing Comments by Coughlin, Scutari on offshore wind surprise many involved in industry
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