The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) has officially revoked its prior approvals for the Ocean Wind One and Ocean Wind Two offshore wind projects.
This decision comes after Cape May County filed lawsuits challenging the projects, citing environmental concerns. The State has agreed to allow Orsted, the foreign corporation behind the projects, to retain $175 million in escrow funds in exchange for the cancellation.
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“Today is a very important day in our ongoing opposition to these environmentally destructive offshore wind projects,” said Cape May County Commission Director Len Desiderio. “The vacation of these Orders by the BPU means that it will be much more difficult for Orsted or any other Big Wind company to utilize these lease areas just a few miles off Cape May County beaches. As we have seen in Nantucket over the past few weeks, these industrial electricity-generating facilities represent an unacceptable threat to our environment and, consequently, to our local economy. In Nantucket, the disintegration of a single turbine blade has led to tens of thousands of pounds of fiberglass, foam, industrial adhesive, and other contaminants in the water and washing up on local beaches, which have had to be closed. We cannot allow that to happen to Cape May County.”
Cape May County officials are celebrating this development as a major victory in their ongoing fight against offshore wind projects. They argue that these projects pose an unacceptable risk to the environment and the local economy. The recent turbine blade disintegration in Nantucket, which resulted in significant environmental pollution and beach closures, has further fueled their concerns.
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Former Judge Michael Donohue, representing Cape May County, believes their efforts played a crucial role in Orsted’s decision to abandon the projects. While the NJBPU’s decision is a significant setback for Orsted, Cape May County intends to continue its legal battles, raising constitutional and conflict-of-interest issues.
“They say you can never know which straw will break the camel’s back,” said former New Jersey Superior Court Judge and Cape May County Special Counsel for Offshore Wind, Michael Donohue. “But we can know for sure that the County of Cape May and its partners in the fishing and tourism industries as well as respectable environmental groups certainly contributed to Orsted’s decision to abandon the Ocean Wind industrial offshore wind projects. And that decision led directly to their agreement to have the Board of Public Utilities rescind their approvals for Ocean Wind One and Ocean Wind Two. We have informed the Appellate Division of the New Jersey Superior Court that we believe that there are still Constitutional and conflicts-of-interest questions that they should hear. We are also likely to amend our Federal Court filings since the actions of the NJBPU would appear to have nullified Orsted’s federal permits.”
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Moreover, Cape May County is actively supporting Brigantine City’s opposition to the Atlantic Shores project. They are concerned that a similar turbine failure in that project could lead to devastating environmental consequences for Cape May County’s beaches, impacting local businesses and families.
This news underscores the growing debate around offshore wind projects. While proponents highlight their potential for clean energy, opponents remain concerned about their environmental impact and potential disruptions to local communities.
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