SaveLBI replies to Governor Murphy’s position on offshore wind.

The aggressive tactics employed for this program may already be killing an unprecedented number of whales from wind energy vessel survey noise, and will destroy NJ’s shore environment with exceptionally visible and audible turbines, less cooling breeze resulting in higher local temperatures, economic damage, losses in home values and more. 

SaveLBI requests immediate cessation of offshore vessel surveys and suspension of more power purchases for new projects by the NJ BPU until a task force is organized to ascertain the cause of those deaths and recommend the best wind lease areas to meet the State’s energy goals.

Ship Bottom, NJ (January 10, 2023) — Today in his ‘State of the State’ address, Governor Murphy will no doubt highlight New Jersey’s position at the forefront of offshore wind energy in America.  In response, the 4,000+ members of SaveLBI, while not opposed to offshore wind energy, would like to remind all that this comes at high cost. The multiple offshore vessel surveys currently being conducted have potentially already caused an unprecedented number of whales to be killed. In addition, the proposed site for the offshore turbine complex running along the entire coast of LBI, starting at just nine miles off our coast, was selected years ago with no environmental impact statement on siting alternatives or public input, and no understanding of how 357 turbines more than 1,000 feet tall will impact a unique ecosystem and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the State.

“The project off LBI will be the tallest, most visible and closest to shore of these newer projects in the world, and no consideration was apparently given to the noise impact from operation of these large turbines on the marine life that exists in the area, especially on the critically endangered North Atlantic Right Whale (NARW) whose migratory path is adjacent to the planned project and could potentially be blocked by that noise”, said Bob Stern, PhD and President of Save LBI.  “An unprecedented number of whales have recently died, potentially as a result of the vessel surveys being conducted off our coast. In addition, our latest research indicates that noise from construction pile driving and continuously operating turbines will be audible at the shore. The combined effect of seeing rows of 1048-foot-high turbines, rotating blades and lights at night, hearing the noise and feeling reduced ocean breezes and higher temperatures will severely degrade the LBI shore experience. We have proposed a better solution: place the turbines 35 miles further out to sea in the Hudson south area which has already been approved for wind energy,” said Stern.

As a result of the number of recent whale deaths, SaveLBI is officially requesting an immediate cessation of all vessel surveys and suspension of more power purchases for new projects by the NJ BPU until a task force is formed to ascertain the cause of those deaths and recommend the best wind lease areas to meet the State’s energy goals.

Save Long Beach Island, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization formed in February of 2021 to raise awareness of the massive wind turbine complex planned for the entire coast of LBI, and work for viable, less impactful alternatives such as the farther out Hudson South area. We are non-partisan proponents of sensible wind energy but opposed to the unreasonable location, scope, size and impact of the current project proposed by Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind and its corporate sponsors, Royal Dutch Shell and Electricite de France Renewables. For more information, visit: SaveLBI.org.