Has President Trump permanently halted offshore wind farms in NJ?
Has President Trump permanently halted offshore wind farms in NJ?
NJ storm produces monster waves as surfers hit the beaches
Monster waves made for great surfing at the Jersey Shore on Wednesday, Jan. 10, one day after the huge storm.
President Donald Trump has made a temporary halt to the development of offshore wind farms off the coast of the US state of New Jersey permanent, according to several news agencies.
Trump made the comments in a campaign phone call for New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli, according to the Reuters news agency.
Democratic governors from the states of New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island came together in a joint statement at the beginning of September, in which they asked Trump to maintain permits for offshore wind projects.
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New Jersey is among the nation’s top offshore wind states. Gov. Phil Murphy has a goal of installing 11,000 megawatts by 2040 as part of his agenda to boost clean energy and combat climate change.
Earlier this year, Trump had cast doubt on the industry’s future after he suspended new federal offshore wind leasing pending an environmental and economic review, claiming that wind turbines are ugly, expensive and harm wildlife.
In February, New Jersey officials said the state would not grant awards for new offshore wind contracts. The announcement by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities comes days after Shell backed out as a partner in the only project that had finalized a bid under the state’s latest offshore wind procurement scheme.
In its fourth solicitation, the state had sought up to 4,000 megawatts of offshore wind capacity. The BPU said two of three bidders had withdrawn from the process, leaving only Atlantic Shores, a joint venture between Shell and France’s EDF.
Atlantic Shores received federal approval from the administration of former President Joe Biden last year. If built, the project is expected to be able to generate enough electricity to power 1 million homes, according to the US Interior Department.
This is a developing story and will be updated throughout the day.
Charles Daye is the metro reporter for Asbury Park and Neptune, with a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. @CharlesDayeAPP Contact him: CDaye@gannettnj.com.