OCEAN CITY, N.J. —
a key federal regulatory hurdle — about 15 miles off the state’s Southern coast. The company has plans for a second project, already approved by state regulators.reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions“At the end of the day, it’s imperative for our state’s future,” Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, said in an interview. “It’s the right step to take.”
But in linking East Coast whale deaths to wind project surveys, these groups contradict what leading marine mammal scientists have concluded. “At this point, there is no scientific evidence that noise resulting from offshore wind site characterization surveys could potentially cause mortality of whales,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in a statement.
While New Jersey is a blue state, Cape May County is decidedly red, with 43% of voters registering Republican, 25% Democrat andThe county voted for Donald Trump — an opponent of wind power — by wide margins in both of his presidential runs. Protesters cite myriad reasons for their opposition. They fear the project will irreparably harm the local economy, marine life and their seaside views. They say that Gov. Murphy and the Biden administration have steamrolled their community. Contradicting analyses of state regulators, they claim the project will cause electricity bills to significantly increase, even though the state estimates that, when operational, the wind farm will cause bills to rise by only about $1.
Not everyone in Cape May County actively opposes the project. When opponents staged their recent protest in Ocean City, local resident Andy Mortensen sat with his wife on the beach and poked fun at the assembly. “They’re blocking my view more than the wind turbines will,” said Mortensen, who added he hasn’t yet taken a position on the wind project.
to “the recent appearance of dead whales on Atlantic beaches, some of which are endangered species.” While the Marzullas have long litigated against endangered species regulations on behalf of property owners, Roger Marzulla, in a statement, said the firm “has never opposed the listing of whales under the Endangered Species Act.”