Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Offshore Wind topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Harvey Cedars adopts resolution opposing industrial offshore wind project
Summary
The Harvey Cedars Board of Commissioners unanimously adopted Resolution #2024-101 on July 15, 2024, formally opposing the proposed Industrial Offshore Wind Project and directing that the resolution be sent to state leaders and municipal peers.
The Borough of Harvey Cedars on July 15 adopted Resolution No. 2024‑101 formally opposing what it calls the "Industrial Offshore Wind Project," a multi‑hundred‑turbine proposal off New Jersey’s coast. The motion to adopt was made by Commissioner Paul G. Rice and seconded by Commissioner Joseph F. Gieger; the minutes record the mayor and both commissioners voting "Aye."
The resolution, adopted by the borough, says the project would industrialize the Atlantic Ocean adjacent to Long Beach Island, be visible from beaches and coastline, and cause environmental and economic harms. The text states the borough "vigorously opposes the non‑green Industrial Offshore Wind Project due to its real and present threat to the health, environmental, and financial health, welfare, and safety of all State residents."
In detailed findings included in the resolution, the borough cites estimates and studies alleging large cost increases (a claim the resolution frames as exceeding $100 billion and raising customer rates), possible visibility of turbine structures as tall as 1,000 feet from shore, and damage to tourism and the commercial fishing industry. The resolution also raises decommissioning concerns, saying the plan lacks guaranteed long‑term funding for turbine removal at end of life. Those assertions appear in the resolution text; no rebuttal or counterstudy was presented during the meeting.
Commissioner Rice said the resolution is intended to express the borough’s position and to request that state legislative leaders and the governor "examine the financial and environmental impact" before proceeding. The minutes record that a copy of the resolution will be forwarded to Senate President Scutari, Assembly Speaker Coughlin, Governor Phil Murphy and the New Jersey League of Municipalities.
Resident Walt Naisby asked what happens to the resolution after passage; Mayor John M. Imperiale replied it will be shared with neighboring towns to show solidarity. The board took no additional regulatory action at the meeting; the resolution is a formal expression of the borough’s position rather than a regulatory veto of projects at the state level.
The meeting adjourned at 4:42 p.m.
