August 28, 2025 — The U.S. Department of Interior’s recent announcement it is launching a full evaluation of offshore wind regulations is being lauded by a local grassroots organization.
“This reform effort is a clear response to concerns we raised in our July 2025 petition calling for the cancellation of Atlantic Shores North and South areas of the coast off Long Beach Island, Brigantine and Atlantic City,” Bob Stern, president and co-founder of Save LBI, said.
Stern thanked Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum for his initiative in revisiting the regulatory guidelines he said failed communities and the environment.
In an Aug. 11 missive to the interior department, Stern urged early stakeholder involvement through the advance notice of proposed rule making, saying it would provide the community, scientists, local government and others the ability to be part of the process while new guidelines are being developed.
Among the key areas to be reimagined are defining what areas are off limits for wind development based on criteria that includes distance from military radar, whale migration and shoreline; requiring project proposals to link location and design with a singular environmental impact statement treating all proposals in a region as alternatives; strengthening marine mammal protection and require decommissioning plans for turbine removal.