Holmdel Utility Consumer Group Supports Offshore Wind Proposal

HOLMDEL, NJ — A New Jersey offshore wind project has garnered support from a Holmdel-based group, CHARGE.

Speaking at a virtual public hearing conducted June 26 by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on the two offshore wind projects proposed by Atlantic Shores, the Holmdel president of CHARGE spoke in support of the Atlantic Shores project.

Consumers Helping Affect Regulation of Gas & Electric was founded in 2018 "to be the public voice" of the state's 3 million individual consumers. The group advocates for public policy discussions, the legislative process, and the regulation of the utility and energy sectors, the organization says.

Kin Gee of Holmdel is the president of CHARGE, and says offshore wind is a better alternative to transmitting power "far from end users and transmitting that power over hundreds if not thousands of miles away."

"It's a business model that is over 100 years old," he said.

The hearing was the first of two virtual public hearings conducted by the bureau. It was via Zoom by bureau staff and the staff of the US Army Corps of Engineers. Click here for a link to a schedule of public hearings, both in-person and virtual

The state government is a big supporter of offshore wind initiatives:

“New Jersey’s leadership in offshore wind is on the rise, bringing with it significant catalytic investment, family-sustaining career opportunities, and the promise of a healthier environment for future generations,” Murphy has said in the past.

Gee said that according to the Department of Energy’s Wind Energy Technologies Office, data suggests the potential for more than 4,000 gigawatts per year in federal waters of the United States and Great Lakes. This is approximately 3 times the annual US electricity consumption.

At the same time, NOAA’s National Ocean Service estimated that nearly 40 percent of the American population lived in counties on the coast, Gee said said.

"Given that this renewable source of power is so much closer to the end users, it is vitally important and makes strategic sense to assign offshore wind as a high priority as part of our national energy policy," he said.

The Atlantic Shores offshore wind project has the potential to avoid over 5 million metric tons of CO2 emissions per year - the equivalent of more than a million additional passenger vehicles per year, he said.

But the group is mindful of the project's relation to wildlife:

“While we support offshore wind and specifically the Atlantic Shores project, we also want to make clear that these projects should be done in a responsible way to protect the environment, wildlife including marine life, the ocean ecosystem, fishermen, and recreational use of our shores,” said Gee.

He said that although "a lot has been written about the number of whales that have washed ashore dead. We share these concerns but we must also follow the science. NOAA and other organizations have studied the recent dead whales and have not reported any evidence or links to the recent offshore planning activities," he said.

But Rep. Chris Smith says more study of the impact of wind turbines on marine life is needed.

An independent investigation into the potential impacts of offshore wind projects will be conducted by the Government Accountability Office, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith announced last month.

The GAO, a nonpartisan agency and watchdog, agreed to conduct the investigation, Smith said, looking at the impacts of New Jersey’s offshore wind development on the environment, the fishing industry, military operations, navigational safety and more, Patch has written.

In February, hundreds gathered on the beach in Point Pleasant to demand NJ put a halt to all wind turbine mapping and construction, until it can be determined whether the turbines are harming whales and other marine life, according to a past Patch article.

Other groups have rallied in support of offshore wind:

A rally earlier in June was primarily organized by the NJ Sierra Club, but also the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters and Greenpeace. Speakers include New Jersey DEP Commissioner Shawn LaTourette, an appointee of Gov. Phil Murphy, state Senator Andrew Zwicker, former Senate President Steve Sweeney and Assemblyman Wayne DeAnjelo, according to a past Patch article.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management says the Atlantic Shores project will have beneficial impacts on overall air and water quality for New Jersey, allowing our communities to breathe easier.

Gee was previously co-president of the citizen group RAGE – Residents Against Giant Electric – that successfully opposed the proposed project by Jersey Central Power & Light ("JCP&L"), a First Energy subsidiary, to build a 10-mile long 230 kV transmission line through five towns in Monmouth County in central New Jersey, according to the CHARGE website.

Patch Local Editors Karen Wall, Carly Baldwin and Veronica Flesher contributed to this report.