Sustainable Communities
Approaches to meeting present and future environmental, social and economic needs.
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Offshore
Wind Project in NJ. In 2009 The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) granted development rights to three offshore wind companies (NRG Blue Water Wind of Princeton, Garden State Offshore Energy and Fishermen’s Energy of Cape May) to build test towers. In May 2010 a two year wind and whale study was begun approximately 3 miles east of Atlantic City. In August 2010 Governor Christie signed the Offshore Wind Economic Development Act, which directs BPU to develop an offshore renewable energy certificate program that requires a percentage of electricity sold in the state to be from offshore wind energy. In addition the act authorizes the state Economic Development Authority to give financial assistance to qualified offshore wind projects. In December 2011 NRG Blue Water Wind announced that it would not proceed with its proposal to build a wind farm off the New Jersey coast. The other two offshore wind companies plan to move forward with their plans.
In January 2010 PP&L and PSEG, the utilities which plan to build a high-voltage power line through the Highlands and the Delaware Water Gap National Park offered money and acres of open space as an offset for damage that would be done to the park by the power line. However environmental groups’ resistance to the project remained strong.
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