Ocean County Leader

Nearly 500 individuals gathered in Sea Girt on Sunday to protest against the proposed installation of wind turbines off the Jersey Shore. The protest coincided with Governor Phil Murphy's visit to the National Guard Training Center in Sea Girt for an annual military review. Protest organizers, aware of Murphy's presence, aimed to make their opposition visible, though he did not address the crowd.

"We wanted him to see us and he did see us, and snuck past us when (NJ Republican governor candidate Jack) Ciattarelli was speaking," stated Lynette Viviani from Stop the High-Risk Power Cables.org, a local group opposing the wind energy project in Sea Girt and nearby areas.

The event was attended by Pt. Pleasant Mayor Paul Kanitra and NJ Republican governor candidate Jack Ciattarelli. Congressman Chris Smith expressed his concerns about the offshore wind farms: "The rush to install these expensive and expansive offshore wind farms — with industrial cables tearing up towns like Sea Girt, Manasquan, Wall and Howell — is a catastrophe in the making... Gov. Murphy’s blatant disregard for the concerns of local residents, the dangers presented by these projects, and the reckless spending in pursuit of them makes no sense whatsoever."

The planned project includes Atlantic Shores Wind, which consists of three wind farms located at varying distances from New Jersey's coastline. Energy from these turbines will be brought ashore through underground cables landing first in Sea Girt.

Viviani highlighted safety concerns about these high-voltage cables: "That’s nearly 10x the power of the recently closed Oyster Creek nuclear plant." She also mentioned that contracts for building on-shore infrastructure might be awarded by late 2024.

Local officials including Howell Mayor Theresa Berger and others have requested a delay in contract awards until further environmental and safety reviews are conducted. Assemblyman Paul Kanitra voiced his opposition during Sunday's rally: "As Governor Murphy has relentlessly escalated his offshore wind goals... this radical push prioritizes ideology over public health and safety."

Congressman Chris Smith reiterated his disapproval: “Governor Murphy’s blatant disregard for the concerns of local residents... It’s long past time Governor Murphy tune in and listen to the great residents of our state.”