New Jersey offshore wind farm draws support, opposition

LONG BEACH ISLAND, N.J. - The U.S. Department of the Interior has approved what would be New Jersey's first off-shore wind farm project.

The proposed Atlantic Shores wind turbines would stand roughly nine miles off the shore of Long Beach Island, which many consider to be the jewel of the Jersey Shore.

The project has support, and opposition.

Supporters applaud the project

Democrat Gov. Phil Murphy applauded the plan on X, saying the Atlantic Shores project will "generate enough electricity to power nearly one million homes."

Some environmental groups say it's a win for the Garden State.

"New Jersey is known as the Saudi Arabia of wind, and we have enormous potential off our coast not only to create new jobs and clean up our air, but ensure we tackle climate change and have energy independence," said Ed Potosank of the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters.

Opponents say change the location

Some beachgoers said the location is a bad idea.

"It would really change everything. It would destroy just the natural beauty of it. I wouldn't be in favor of it at all," Rockland County resident Karen D'Esposito said.

Bob Stern, who is with the group Save Long Island Beach, is fighting the plan. He says it calls for about 200 wind turbines as tall as several football fields.

Atlantic City has several wind turbines up at a waste management facility that aren't that tall.

"I think basically this is a mistake. Nobody in the world is siting these large, newer wind turbines this close to the shore," Stern said.

The group's prepared to go to court to fight the project, Stern said. He said it will not only create noise, but also have an adverse effect on wildlife and beachgoers.

"The blades will be rotating. I think there's something about the rotation that can that can be very disturbing to the human eye," Stern said.

"It's hazy, and you don't see that far out," Potosnak sad. "The greatest threat to their community is climate change, more intense and frequent storms battering our coast and sweeping away our boardwalks."

Some understand both sides.

"People are concerned about the wildlife and animals. That is definitely important," beachgoer Coleen Kaney said. "But I also understand energy. Like, saving energy, and we need to do that."

The project still needs some other federal and state approvals. Some of the part could start being built next year, and construction could begin as early as 2026.