August 4, 2022 — The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management extended the deadline for public comment on the environmental impacts of an offshore wind project after facing complaints 45 days was not long enough to review the 1,408-page impact statement.
Some Jersey Shore residents, environmentalists and politicians pushed the bureau to extend the timeline for public input on Ocean Wind 1, a project by Denmark-based energy company Ørsted and Newark-based power company Public Service Enterprise Group. Many voiced concerns at public hearings that the proposed 1,100-megawatt offshore wind farm would irreparably harm New Jersey’s fishing industry, negatively affect endangered the North Atlantic Right Whale and disrupt the ecosystems and migration routes of various marine and coastal animals.
The project has been touted by state officials and many environmentalists as an important step in reducing New Jersey’s reliance on fossil fuels, a contributor to global climate change and rising sea levels. If approved, it would be located about 15 miles offshore near Atlantic City and provide enough energy to power 500,000 New Jersey homes, according to Ørsted.