Our South Jersey way of life is deeply rooted in the beauty of our coastal surroundings—where the soothing crash of waves and the cries of seagulls define our everyday experiences. Gazing out over the ocean offers a serene view of boats silhouetted against the backdrop of a setting sun. Now imagine these peaceful sounds of nature overridden by the constant mechanical hum of massive turbines, visually eviscerating the horizon with hundreds of spinning steel blades. Offshore wind will harm our very way of life, bringing with it economic hardship and environmental disaster.
If offshore wind is built, tourism will be harmed. South Jersey attracts millions of visitors annually to enjoy our pristine beaches, vibrant coastal towns, and abundant recreational opportunities. They come for unspoiled beauty, not an industrial eyesore. Offshore wind companies themselves estimate their projects will cause billions in loss in annual tourism revenues. Such a decline in tourism will permanently wipe out local business and cause unprecedented economic despair. The restaurants, hotels, shops, and other businesses that rely on tourist dollars will face unemployment and our communities will suffer.
If offshore wind is built, our rich fishing grounds and navigational waters will become dangerous. The anchoring of thousands of permanent offshore wind turbines will create hazardous obstacles for maritime traffic, leading to navigational nightmares and safety catastrophes. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the federal entity responsible for offshore wind leasing, has concluded that offshore wind will have “major” impacts on maritime navigation which could alarmingly “result in personal injury or loss of life.” Our $1 billion fishing economy will be harmed and vital shipping routes that sustain our regional and national economy will be crippled.
If offshore wind is built, South Jersey families will suffer. The harshest reality of offshore wind is that it will utterly fail to serve its ostensible purpose—providing cheap, reliable energy. The initial investment for these projects is astronomical, involving the construction of turbines, underwater cables, and complex grid connections—all vulnerable to cost overruns, construction delays, and the harsh marine environment. These irreversible investments will chain us to the least reliable and least affordable form of energy. Thanks to the State of New Jersey, any relief that ratepayers would have received through federal subsidies will now instead be passed along to the profits of foreign-owned offshore wind companies. Any new jobs that their construction temporarily provides will only be part-time and from foreign-controlled entities.
New Jersey residents already face some of the highest utility bills in the country, and this will only make things worse. Many families are already struggling to keep up with their monthly expenses, and the addition of rising energy costs will push them further into financial distress. Instead of providing relief, offshore wind will exacerbate these economic burdens on households. We need to be acting in the best interest of the people, not pushing an ideological agenda that ignores the real-world implications for the New Jersey families who will bear the brunt of increased energy bills and economic instability.
We must abandon the offshore wind experiment and invest in truly clean, reliable, and affordable alternatives like solar and nuclear energy. Solar, unlike offshore wind, is environmentally friendly and directly results in household savings. Nuclear energy provides a stable, efficient power source without the massive visual and ecological footprint. Salem County’s nuclear generating stations are among the largest in the county, providing 45% of New Jersey’s energy and 85% of its clean energy. We must invest in and modernize these facilities to enable New Jersey’s growth into the future.
These alternatives represent real solutions for clean energy, not the false promises of offshore wind. We need energy solutions that preserve our coastal landscapes, support our economy, and ensure a sustainable future for generations to come.
Rep. Jeff Van Drew has represented New Jersey’s Second Congressional District since 2019.
