Offshore Wind Developer Donates Seafood To Fulfill Food Bank

NEPTUNE TOWNSHIP, NJ — Attentive Energy, an offshore wind developer that was previously awarded a bid to build wind turbines off the Jersey Shore (the Attentive Energy 2 project), joined with a pair of husband-wife scallop farmers to make a significant seafood donation to Fulfill food bank.

They made the donation last Thursday, Jan. 16. They donated 1,250 pounds of fish and seafood to Fulfill's warehouse in Neptune.

The future of offshore wind in New Jersey is incredibly shaky, as newly sworn-in President Donald Trump just signed an executive order Monday that temporarily halts offshore wind lease sales in federal ocean waters. Trump's executive order also puts a pause on all wind farm development, including permits and loans, both offshore and on land.

And — although hundreds of thousands of acres of the Atlantic Ocean off New Jersey were leased to offshore wind developers under the Biden administration — not a single wind turbine has been constructed yet off the Jersey Shore.

Scallop Shack Farms is a direct-to-consumer seafood company based in Cape May and Atlantic counties. It was founded by husband-and-wife team Brady Lybarger and Amanda Axelsson. Brady, a commercial scallop captain for over 13 years, and Amanda, who transitioned from a career in wine sales to work full time for their business, started the company during the 2020 quarantine.

The couple started out selling scallops and shrimp from the back of a pick-up truck during the quarantine. Scallop Shack Farms has since expanded to hosting seafood pop-ups and opened a brick-and-mortar location at the Cape May County airport. The company is known for selling fresh and frozen seafood, with a focus on top-quality, wild-caught and American-caught products. Scallop Shack Farms has a history of donating their high-quality seafood to local New Jersey food banks.

Each month, Fulfill helps 103,000 food-insecure people across Monmouth and Ocean counties.

Donations to food banks tend to slow down significantly after the holiday season.

Attentive Energy, the potential wind farm developer, has been actively engaging with the fishing communities of the New York Bight since 2018, four years prior to securing their federal lease area to build wind turbines. Engagement efforts have included regular port visits, one-on-one meetings, attending public meetings and participating in fishing forums across the Northeast.

Through these engagements, Attentive Energy has developed a broad network of fisheries-related contacts and continues to rely heavily on the feedback gained to responsibly develop offshore wind.

"It’s an incredible opportunity to partner with visionary entrepreneurs like Scallop Shack Farms to support local partners who are helping feed our communities," said Damian Bednarz, managing director of Attentive Energy. "This donation reflects our project’s values and ongoing commitment to communities throughout New Jersey and our dedication to fostering strong relationships with local fisheries and small businesses."

"Giving back to our community has always been a core value of our business. We are excited to work with Attentive Energy to make the start of the new year a little brighter for families in need," said Lybarger and Axelsson.

To learn more or help out, visit www.fulfillnj.org