WALL — The future of New Jersey's renewable energy drew dozens of people to Wall Tuesday.
Critics of offshore wind squared off with supporters at a meeting of the state's Board of Public Utilities.
Outside of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 400 hall on Route 138, environmentalists and union supporters rallied to show support for initiatives that would create wind farms miles offshore, lower New Jersey's reliance on fossil fuel energy, and create new renewable energy sector jobs.
"We don't have the luxury of time," said Dr. Elizabeth "Lisa" Cerceo, the director of climate health at Rowan University's Cooper Medical School.
"The impacts of burning fossil fuel… are impacting the health of New Jerseyans today," she said.
As she spoke, the Board of Public Utilities held a hearing focused on connecting offshore wind farms to the electrical grid through Sea Girt.
Air pollution related to fossil fuel use are impacting vulnerable communities — children, pregnant women, older adults, communities of color — and shortening lives through asthma, heart disease and other health problems, Cerceo said. The deaths from Hurricane Helene across the southern United States stood as a stark reminder of the risks from climate change, she said.
"The build out of offshore wind is a central piece of the answer, and thousands of people are working here in New Jersey to push for the changes that we need to allow us all to prosper and for our children to be healthy and happy," Cerceo said.
Not everyone agrees that offshore wind is the answer.
Hundreds of supporters of the grassroots group Stop The High-Risk Power Cables , which represents homeowners in Sea Girt, Wall, Manasquan and Howell, are expected to protest Sunday morning at the National Guard Training Center in Sea Girt. The Board of Public Utilities has selected the National Guard's training center as the landfall site for wind projects to connect to the onshore electric grid in Monmouth County.
"We're not saying 'not in my backyard.' We don't want this in anybody's backyard," said Lynette Viviani, a member of Stop The High-Risk Power Cables' leadership team.
Electromagnetic fields, heat from the cables, and the potential to spread underground pollution during construction are some of the group's concerns with the proposed cable route.
Board of Public Utilities officials said electromagnetic fields from the cables would amount to half of 1% of the safety limit recommended by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection, and that exposure decreases with distance. Construction of the cables would also be subject to robust permitting from various government agencies, they said.
Critics remain unconvinced.
"We don't fully know (all the impacts)," said Kimberly Paterson, of Stop The High-Risk Power Cables. "We know about some impacts, but we don't fully know and more research needs to be done… (We) are concerned about what this is going to do to our infrastructure."
Where would offshore wind cables connect in Monmouth County?
Representatives of the Board of Public Utilities said Tuesday that offshore wind power cables would make landfall at the National Guard Training Center, then run underground to the Larrabee power substation in Howell. A specific route has not yet been determined, they said.
Two offshore wind power projects that are in development — Leading Light Wind and Attentive Energy Two — would connect to the power grid through Sea Girt, as well as another offshore wind project that has yet to be determined, according to board officials.
Sea Girt residents to fight wind plan: 'Not on my watch'
The connection route represents the "least disruptive approach" for Jersey Shore communities and the state's natural resources, Katharine Perry, a project manager for the state board, told a crowd gathered in the IBEW hall.
The plan would use horizontal directional drilling to dig underneath the beach and dunes at the National Guard Training Center so as not to disturb the surface environment. The cables connecting the training center to Howell substation would be buried using insulation, pipes and concrete that dissipates heat, similar to other underground utilities in the area.
Board officials said similar power lines are buried, rather than run across overhead lines, across northern New Jersey and New York due to the high density of development. To ensure safety, various federal, state and local permits would be needed before construction could begin, sometime in 2026, state officials said.
The Board of Public Utilities will take comments from the public on the plan through Oct. 15.
New Jersey offshore wind moves forward despite protests
Meanwhile, federal regulators announced another victory for the industry. Officials with the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said they approved two wind projects known collectively as Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind South. Atlantic Shores — a 2,800-megawatt project — will be constructed off Atlantic City and be within view of southern Long Beach Island. At its closest approach, it will be about nine miles from shore.
New Jersey resident Patricia Brennan of Red Bank worries that offshore wind turbines will lead to thousands of job losses for coastal communities. She is concerned that historic fishing areas would close to local fisheries and that the visual impact of wind turbines on the horizon would drive away summer vacationers.
"It's going to affect the tourism and the economy of New Jersey," she said.
Jeff Platenyk of Point Pleasant also attended the board meeting to share his concerns about the industry.
"These wind projects are basically just in full throttle, without a real concern of what the effects are going to be," he said. "Our 130 miles of pristine beaches… are now essentially going to be in jeopardy."
Environmentalists and offshore wind advocates hope they can change their minds.
"We know that offshore wind holds the keys to powering New Jersey's future without harming our environment," said James Thompson of the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters, an environmental organization. "Wind energy is clean. It doesn't pollute like coal, gas, oil or other fossil fuels… and we know that offshore wind can be developed in a manner that avoids, minimizes and mitigates impact on wildlife and other habitats."
Amanda Oglesby is an Ocean County native who covers education and the environment. She has worked for the Press for more than 16 years. Reach her at @OglesbyAPP, aoglesby@gannettnj.com or 732-557-5701.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Monmouth County residents fight offshore wind connection as feds approve wind farm
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