The Fight Against Offshore Wind Projects is Not Over

Progress Made:

Save Long Beach Island (LBI) Inc. has made much progress in highlighting
project problems in Court and publicly, and halting the just-offshore Atlantic Shore South
project by getting its offshore air permit remanded. But its permanent end is not secured.

Status:

Current Administration efforts to end projects have been limited: agencies have not
acted on other Atlantic Shores South project disapprovals, lease cancellation, and Save LBI
petitions on actions to deter future projects.

Large, powerful foreign-based corporate interests are still pursuing offshore wind projects.
Electricity de France (EDF) Inc., the project sponsor, is pursuing the sale of its northeast
renewable energy assets, likely to include the Atlantic Shores south and north lease areas to
those interests.

The issue has unfortunately become politicized, with one political party still strongly supportive
of the projects, the other not. Lawsuits by Northeast states-including New Jersey- are
obstructing project terminations even when the developer agrees to that.

What’s at Stake:

LBI, other shore communities, and all who use and value the shore, still have a
lot to lose here: much higher electric bills, liability for turbine removal, a valued way of life (the
natural ocean vista, tourism, historic and property value, whales, other marine life, fishing and
boating) as well as onshore military and commercial radar impairment.

Things to Come:

Proponents are biding time until the 2028 election, beginning now with more
misinformation about project benefits and disparaging the character of opponents. A flood of
projects and new federal and state legislation restoring incentives and short-cutting
environmental reviews can be expected if a change in Administration takes place.
Save LBI is and will pursue a wide range of actions including litigation, petitions, and public
outreach to prevent that flood (See Addendum below).

Save LBI Advocacy, our newly formed sister, still non -partisan organization, needs funding now
to prepare to address expected, poorly grounded new legislation. Please consider donating.

 

We must remain vigilant and committed.

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Thanks to the many who have helped Save LBI in our mission. 

Addendum

Save LBI actions currently include:

• Its main lawsuit in DC Circuit Court Against the Atlantic Shores South project

• The appeal of the airborne noise nuisance case

• The challenge to the New Jersey Atlantic Shores South project Consistency Finding under the Coastal Zone Management Act

• Its lawsuit to compel the Department of Commerce to act on Save LBI’s year-old, 232-page petition to  designate the primary historic migration corridor of the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale along the East Coast as critical habitat

• Its intervention in the lawsuit by Northeast states to void the Total Energies project termination

• The petition to the Department of the Interior to cancel the leases for the Atlantic Shores North and South offshore wind projects

• The petition to the Department of the Interior to revise the rules for leasing and permitting future offshore wind projects

• The petition to the Department of Commerce to rescind its approval of the Atlantic Shores South project and develop scientifically sound, transparent methods of estimating impacts to marine mammals

• The petition to the Army Corps of Engineers to reconsider its permit for the Atlantic Shore South project and its request to the Department of Defense to revise and strengthen its Memorandum of

• Understanding with the Interior Department to assure that national security interests are protected.