Ocean City wind farm controversy grows ahead of 2024 construction

OCEAN CITY, N.J. (NewsNation) — There’s a growing fight over green energy in a New Jersey resort town, with some in Ocean City trying to pull the plug on a massive wind farm project that would install nearly 100 wind turbines off the coast.

Supporters of the project say the wind farm is vital to fighting climate change; yet opponents argue it will actually be bad for the environment and be an eyesore.

The wind turbines will be built about 15 miles from the town, but will still be visible from the shore.

Summer in Ocean City has attracted tourists from all around, becoming a seasonal playground for thousands who visit for the sun, sand and scenery.

But since the federal government has approved the construction of New Jersey’s first offshore wind turbine farm, many fear it will deter visitors from touring the popular vacation destination.

Orsted, a Danish wind energy company, is behind the project and will build “Ocean Wind 1.” The plans call for placing close to 100 wind turbines off the coast of Ocean City and Atlantic City.

“A tremendous amount of skilled labor has to go into each one and that means jobs, good-paying union jobs,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said.

The wind farm would generate enough energy to power 500,000 homes in the South Jersey community.

Nationally, President Joe Biden recently announced that he wants to build 30 gigawatts of offshore wind farms by 2030, enough to power more than 10 million homes using clean energy.

Right now, there are only seven turbines spinning off the U.S. coast, but other projects are being proposed and many are developing across the country.

But all eyes are now on New Jersey as the project has faced fierce opposition and a litany of lawsuits, which have been filed to block the project.

“I don’t know the outcome on the water and we also don’t want to look at that every day while we’re at the beach,” one woman told NewsNation.

“I’ve heard from many people who say if these are built, I’m out of here,” Robin Shaffer said.

Shaffer is with Protect Our Coast New Jersey, one of the dozen or so opposition groups fighting the project.

Among their biggest concerns: How will the turbines affect marine mammal life?

Since last December, close to 60 dead whales have washed up on the shore. Opposition groups believe early work on the turbine project killed those whales.

However, three federal agencies and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection said there is no evidence linking offshore wind preparation to the whale deaths.

“Why not leave Mother Nature alone and let’s find a better way,” Shaffer said.

In a statement to NewsNation, Orsted said, “In terms of whales, according to NOAA, offshore wind has not been responsible for any whale fatalities. An estimated 40% of whale deaths are caused by vessel strikes or entanglement in plastic or fishing gear.”

And while there are concerns the project will hurt tourism, the local economy and bring down home values, there are people who support the project.

“Once those windmills are up, you’re not going to notice them. We gotta get this done, end of story,” one man told NewsNation.

Construction is slated to start in early 2024, and if all goes as planned, those turbines will be fully operational by 2025.

There are also plans underway for a second wind turbine farm to be built not too far from the city.