Ocean County Leader

Rep. Chris Smith (R-Manchester) issued a statement today in response to Governor Murphy's efforts to limit community review for offshore wind projects. This follows the release of an environmental impact statement by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) for the Atlantic Shores South project off the New Jersey coast.

"Despite the unmistakable signs that offshore wind projects are economically unsustainable and pose serious dangers, Governor Murphy and the Biden administration continue to foolishly press forward with their failed policies—all at the expense of New Jersey taxpayers," Smith stated.

The Biden administration recently published a final environmental impact statement for the Atlantic Shores South project, which includes 200 offshore wind turbines with transmission cables making landfall in Sea Girt. Smith criticized this document, saying it "isn’t worth the paper it is written on."

"No matter how arrogantly the federal government insists it can ‘mitigate’ the admitted adverse impacts, pounding 200 wind turbines into the ocean floor across more than 102,000 acres will fundamentally transform our marine environment with devastating effects for wildlife, commercial and recreational fishermen, radar navigation, national security, and tourism," he added.

Smith also highlighted that Governor Murphy has allowed Orsted to avoid paying $175 million owed to New Jersey after pulling out of a taxpayer-subsidized deal last November. He expressed concern over ongoing plans under Murphy's administration that require New Jersey taxpayers to subsidize multibillion-dollar corporations while facing increased energy costs as ratepayers.

"To rub salt into the wound, the Governor has short-circuited and moved up the already aggressive timeline for new proposals, expediting efforts so that local leaders and community stakeholders have even less time to get answers to questions raised," Smith said.

He concluded by urging both President Biden and Governor Murphy to listen to public concerns: "It is long past time that Biden and Murphy heed the overwhelming public outcry of environmentalists, fishermen, and local residents who have significant concerns over these offshore wind projects and stop their extreme plans to industrialize our beautiful ocean."