This week, the Cape May County Board of County Commissioners unanimously passed a resolution that outlines stiff opposition to Orsted’s Ocean Wind 1 and 2 offshore wind projects, planned for sites several miles off the coast of southern New Jersey.
The resolution notes that the County of Cape May has made attempts to “find common ground” with Orsted in order to “mitigate some of the negative impacts” of the projects.
Among the stated negative impacts is that “windmills will be visible from every beach in Cape May County and from elevated positions offshore,” while at the same time offering “little to no positive impact on global warming and climate change.”
“The Cape May County Board of Commissioners has authorized the reasonable use of all county resources to oppose the Orsted windmill projects,” the board says in a statement. “As of the date of the passage of the resolution, the County of Cape May has appealed a decision of the NJBPU authorizing Orsted’s state permit applications and taking real property interests from the people of the County of Cape May and transferring them to the foreign offshore wind company.”
The board also notes that it is “engaged in a review of state and federal permitting processes with an eye toward possible legal challenges.”
“We would like to see land-based offshore wind facilities and supply chain infrastructure built here in New Jersey, since that would create good opportunities for trade workers and others,” says Cape May County Board of Commissioners Director Len Desiderio. “But we cannot sit quietly by as hundreds of windmills are installed off our beaches as state and federal government agencies ignore our legitimate and serious concerns.”
The county has engaged law firm Cultural Heritage Partners based in Virginia and environmental consulting group Warwick Consulting, based in Washington, D.C.
Earlier this week, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management issued the final environmental impact statement for Ocean Wind 1, which is the last step before the agency makes a decision this summer about whether the project can move forward.
