NJDEP/Offshore wind turbines.
LONG BEACH ISLAND – After advocating for years to eliminate offshore wind projects in development off the New Jersey coastline, SaveLBI now wants the state to reconsider offshore wind development as part of a comprehensive plan to address the energy crisis.
In a press release, SaveLBI President Bob Stern urged the NJ Legislature to enact meaningful laws that address the mounting energy production crisis and “reconsider the role of offshore wind development.”
Save Long Beach Island, LLC has 10,000 supporters dedicated to “sound energy policies” who advocated against wind turbines in an effort to protect marine life, the fishing industry and tourism.
Concerned about the high cost of energy in the state, Stern said the organization is proposing a multifaceted plan to address the mounting energy crisis, including a new plan for offshore wind development.
Stern called the prior plan “a failed experiment” that depended on billions in subsidies funded by taxpayers and ratepayers.
SaveLBI’s plan is petitioning lawmakers to reduce the cost of purchasing electricity from PJM Interconnection by implementing a multi-faceted approach to energy production.
Stern said New Jersey has the highest energy rates in the nation, about 33% higher than the national average, and that was before rates increased by 20% in June. New Jersey imports more than 25% of its power from PJM, and demand is projected to increase to power new data centers.
“Save LBI is calling on the legislature to assert leadership over the NJ Board of Public Utilities, regardless of who occupies the governor’s office,” Stern said. “It is the responsibility of our elected representatives - not regulators - to set energy policy.”
Save LBI’s energy plan toward stability includes five distinct actions:
1. Expand nuclear power. New Jersey’s nuclear facilities in Salem and Hope Creek now supply more than 20% of the state’s electricity and are critical to maintaining baseload reliability — the ability to generate a continuous supply of electricity across NJ. Several thousand megawatts of capacity could be added to these sites, as well as at the shuttered Oyster Creek Power Station in Lacey Township, by deploying Small Modular Reactors and using existing transmission infrastructure. Under recent licensing streamlining procedures, the SMRs could come online in the 2029 to 2032 time frame.
2. Deploy natural gas to ensure a reliable supply of energy. Modern combined-cycle and peaking units can deliver thousands of megawatts of reliable power and could be operational within three years
3. Reconsider Offshore Wind. In recent years, the industry has faced significant public opposition, escalating costs and widespread cancellations. Offshore wind projects are heavily dependent on taxpayer subsidies, unable to meet baseload demand, interfere with the accuracy of radar used for national defense and navigation, harm coastal tourism, and pose a serious threat to marine mammals, including the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale, to name a few of the many negatives. Offshore wind is also the most expensive source of energy.
4. Make data centers pay their fair share. AI data center demand is a major driver of PJM price increases. Without corrective measures, costs will continue to be unfairly shifted to households. The Legislature should direct BPU to ensure data centers cover the full cost of their demand, including transmission upgrades.
5. Assume a global leadership position. Climate change is a global challenge. New Jersey alone cannot make a measurable impact, but it can lead by funding a comprehensive study of greenhouse-gas reduction and climate-preparedness strategies that can be deployed worldwide and then demonstrating and exporting the most promising solutions.
Stern said the Legislature should consider rescinding the Offshore Wind Economic Development Act, which mandates artificial renewable energy goals, or at a minimum, prohibit new offshore wind procurements until federal rules are revised and the removal of wind turbines is assured.
“All energy sources have their pluses and negatives,” concluded Stern, who served as a manager at the U.S. Department of Energy at a time when the country was looking to reduce its dependency on foreign oil. “Selecting the best mix requires consideration of many factors, including availability, reliability, cost, longevity, and long-term environmental and social impact. Whenever you base policy on just one factor, especially something like climate change that the State can’t meaningfully influence, you run into trouble.”
Read the full release here.
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