By John Dempsey
Of all the places I could have proposed to my wife, the place that felt right was Lavallette.
Since my first trip to Ocean City in 2002, I have loved the Jersey Shore. Each year, spending time in places like LBI, Ortley Beach, and Asbury Park has been a sacred summer ritual with friends and family.
That’s why it’s hard for me to hear the misinformation surrounding offshore wind – and the work we are doing at Bluepoint Wind. As we mark another Climate Week, it’s a good time to restate some basic facts.
Bluepoint Wind, working from an office in the Ironbound section of Newark, is in the early stages of developing an offshore wind project 53 nautical miles east of the New Jersey coastline — well beyond the view of anyone on the beach.
New Jersey is working with offshore wind companies like Bluepoint Wind to help combat the impacts of climate change, which is wreaking havoc on our shore.
Roads frequently flood at high tide, shorelines once as wide as football fields can now barely fit a beach chair, and new houses are built atop pilings. Some shore towns need to truck in sand every spring just so there’s a beach to use in the summer.
I want to ensure that my children will be able to enjoy summers down the shore with their children and grandchildren, and fighting climate change through the deployment of offshore wind is one of the best tools we have to do that.
Even beyond climate change, experts predict that the adoption of electric vehicles, building electrification, and the growth of data centers will lead to a dramatic increase in power demand in the coming decades. Without new energy sources, our power grid will not be able to meet increased demand.
This challenge presents a choice: We can site fossil generation near our office in Newark – exacerbating air quality conditions that cause Newark children to suffer from asthma at more than twice the rate of others – or we can harness the wind that will always be blowing off our coast 24/7, 365 days a year.
I am sympathetic to my neighbors at the shore who are worried about the impact of offshore wind because of what they are hearing from those using fear to drive opposition. If I didn’t have knowledge of the facts, I’d be concerned, too.
I hear lies about the transmission cables connecting the wind turbines to the grid. The fact is, these types of cables have been bringing power to our homes and businesses for years. Unlike overhead power cables, these transmission lines are armored, insulated, and buried in the ground. Studies demonstrate that the presence of electromagnetic frequencies (EMF) is negligible, presents no safety risks to humans, and is in a similar category to what is produced by computers, microwaves, and Bluetooth earphones.
Other offshore wind opponents claim the industry is “killing whales” — a baseless fabrication. The evidence is clear that ship strikes and entanglement with fishing gear is largely to blame for whale mortality events.
I’ve even heard that offshore wind — which does not yet exist off our coast – is somehow responsible for recent increases in power prices. In reality, this summer’s higher energy bills are the result of fossil fuel generators raising prices during times of higher demand. In fact, once built, the fixed-price agreements that New Jersey has with offshore wind developers will give ratepayers protection from the price swings.
While offshore wind is not the only solution to protecting the long-term future of the Jersey Shore, it’s a great start. And if there’s one thing that worries me about the next 50 years, it’s what will happen if we allow false information to stand in the way of our ability to power our future in a clean and environmentally just way.
I encourage everyone to learn the truth about offshore wind. The federal Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management (BOEM)’s website has scientifically backed data on the industry. Researchers at Brown University have created a great resource that answers many important questions.
And I invite people to learn more about my company’s project by visiting our website or connecting directly with our team.
The Jersey Shore has always been a special place. Let’s follow the facts to keep it that way.
John Dempsey, a Morris County resident, is the CEO of Bluepoint Wind.