Atlantic County Times

Washington, DC - This week, Governor Murphy's comments on offshore wind during his budget address drew a response from Congressman Van Drew. In a statement, Congressman Van Drew criticized the Governor's remarks as he expressed ongoing concerns about offshore wind development.

"Despite Governor Murphy's insincere and ignorant remarks regarding offshore wind development off the coast of New Jersey, I can assure you that I, along with my constituents, remain extremely concerned with the continuation of these projects," said Congressman Van Drew. "For years, I have been raising concerns about the problems associated with offshore wind farms. The issues are far more extensive than the incidents of dozens of whales washing ashore, which started when the surveying for these projects began. In order to lay transmission cables, hundreds of miles of our sea floor will need to be dredged—are we really supposed to think that having to dig up hundreds of miles of sea floor will have no impact on our marine life or environment whatsoever?

"These wind farms also negatively impact our radar systems used by vessels—our own government has even warned about the national security impact that will result from pushing these projects forward. Plus, these wind grids are being leased right in the middle of historic fishing grounds that will impact our fishermen's livelihoods. While Governor Murphy chose to make jokes that fell flat during his Budget Address, that does not negate the fact that we the people do not want these projects off our coasts. There is far too much uncertainty surrounding wind energy to fully transition from reliable energy sources.

"I attended a field hearing last month in Ocean City, Maryland to bring awareness to offshore wind development, and I will continue the fight until projects like Atlantic Shores packs up its bags and abandons New Jersey, just like Orsted."