3 weeks ago
Three anti-wind powerfulness groups are suing New Jersey to overturn a cardinal biology support for a wind power farm planned disconnected nan seashore of Long Beach Island.
Save Long Beach Island, Defend Brigantine Beach and Protect Our Coast NJ revenge suit successful appellate tribunal connected April 26 challenging a determination by nan New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection that nan Atlantic Shores upwind workplace task meets nan requirements of a national coastal protection law.
NEW JERSEY ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP PLUCKS 'BIZARRE' FINDS FROM STATE BEACH SHORES
Atlantic Shores is 1 of 3 projected upwind farms disconnected New Jersey's seashore that person preliminary approval.
Bruce Afran, an lawyer for nan groups, said nan state's "approval flies successful nan look of nan national regulator’s biology effect connection that says nan Atlantic Shores task will harm marine habitat, compress and harden nan seafloor, harm marine communities, discuss migration corridors for endangered species, and origin commercialized sportfishing stocks to decline."
Land-based upwind turbines rotation successful Atlantic City. N.J., connected Nov. 3, 2023. On Tuesday, April 30, 2024, New Jersey inferior regulators opened a 4th information of solicitations for caller offshore upwind workplace proposals to subordinate nan 3 that already person preliminary approval. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)
The aforesaid 3 groups challenged a upwind workplace projected by nan Danish upwind power institution Orsted, which scrapped nan task successful October.
The suit was nan latest obstacle facing New Jersey's quest to go nan East Coast leader successful offshore wind. These 3 groups are among nan astir vocal and litigious opponents of offshore upwind projects.
The New Jersey lawyer general's agency declined remark connected nan pending litigation, and Atlantic Shores did not respond to a petition for remark Friday.
But Joshua Henne, a governmental strategist advising respective groups fighting ambiance change, accused nan anti-wind groups of acting successful convention pinch nan fossil substance industry.
"There ain’t thing grassroots astir this effort," he said. "It's astroturf, seeded by nan fossil substance industry."
Robin Shaffer, president of Protect Our Coast, rejected that claim.
"We person ne'er taken 1 penny from immoderate entity linked to nan fossil substance industry," he said. "Not one."
Up until a twelvemonth ago, nan group utilized nan Caesar Rodney Institute to clasp its money. The Delaware-based group is portion of a group of deliberation tanks supporting and funded by fossil substance interests, according to nan Energy and Policy Institute.
Caesar Rodney charged Protect Our Coast a 12% interest to clasp its money, Shaffer said, adding his group presently has nary narration pinch nan institute.
He besides noted that 1 of nan owners of Atlantic Shores is an connection of Shell, nan world lipid and state company.
Shaffer said authorities and national officials are racing to o.k. offshore upwind projects without adequately considering imaginable antagonistic impacts.
"It’s arsenic if they are building an airplane while it’s successful nan air, only they person nary thought wherever nan level is headed, aliases if it tin beryllium landed safely," he said.
Jason Ryan, a spokesperson for nan American Clean Power Association, said nan existent slate of offshore upwind projects is "among nan astir cautiously planned and analyzed infrastructure projects successful U.S. history; we are assured their permits will withstand ineligible scrutiny."
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Earlier this week, New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities opened a 4th information of solicitations for further offshore upwind projects.
The authorities has group a extremity of generating 100% of its powerfulness from cleanable sources by 2035.
