June 6, 2024 — State officials announced they are ramping up the fifth offshore wind solicitation schedule by 15 months, even as a local grassroots organization continues to battle the industrialization of the Atlantic Ocean off Long Beach Island.
Save LBI issued its latest call to action June 2, saying, “Our federal and state agencies are on the brink of approving the first phase of the Atlantic Shores project, the closest, most visible and intrusive offshore wind project in the world, and in the migration path of critically endangered whales.”
For its part, the group said it expects to file a petition to designate the project and adjacent area as a critical migration habit for whales; take on multiple litigation fronts to protect marine mammals, preserve the Jersey Shore experience, prevent electric bill increases and sidestep property value losses, which they estimate at a $1.3 billion loss; and build a coalition with other groups, including municipal officials, to block misrepresentation of the project’s benefits and costs.
“If those entities have their way, this will be your last chance to experience a magnificent pristine seashore, save your shore house and business, protect marine life and keep your electric bills from soaring,” the group said earlier this week. “Once these turbines are placed, they are not coming out. It is not feasible to do so. We will be leaving this blight for generations, a legacy we cannot accept.”