The carbon pollution from at least nine entire fossil fuel plants could be eliminated in New Jersey if wind power supplied 30 percent of the nation’s electricity needs, according to a new analysis by Environment New Jersey Research & Policy Center. The analysis comes as Fishermen’s Energy appeals the Board of Public Utilities’ decision to reject an off-shore wind project off Atlantic City through the New Jersey Superior Court – and more than 4 years after Gov. Christie signed off-shore wind legislation into law.
“The potential of New Jersey’s off-shore wind is too strong to ignore,” said Doug O’Malley, director of Environment New Jersey Research & Policy Center. “The BPU’s attempt to stall and deny off-shore wind is painfully transparent. We are optimistic that Fishermen’s Energy court challenge will succeed in making history off of Atlantic City.”
Continued, rapid development of wind energy would allow the renewable resource to supply 30 percent of the nation’s electricity by 2030, providing more than enough carbon reductions to meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed Clean Power Plan.
The analysis also shows the potential for offshore wind in New Jersey and how it could significantly expand in New Jersey over the next 15 years, producing enough power (more than 25,000 gigawatt hours) for a vast majority of New Jersey’s residential homes (more than 80%) and offsetting the dangerous pollution of dirty energy sources. The global warming emissions reductions would be more than 20 million metric tons of global warming pollution reduced per year.
After the BPU’s denial of the Fishermen’s Energy project, the company filed a notice of legal action with the Appellate Division, and filed its brief last week. “The BPU committed reversible error….by making fundamental errors, to wit, ignoring the written regulatory criteria and inventing new standards by which to judge the application, and by ignoring substantial and material evidence in the record,” reads the brief. “After three plus years of trying to work with the BPU to present a project that progressively reduced the costs to ratepayers, and despite the prior remand of this matter, the BPU has steadfastly reviewed the application in an arbitrary and capricious manner and its order should be reversed,” the brief summary concludes.
The Appellate Division court date is set for March 4, 2015.
“Off-shore wind will be an environmental and economic winner for New Jersey and Atlantic City,” said Sen. Jim Whelan (D-2). “Fishermen’s Energy pilot project off Atlantic City is the right place to start, and Board of Public Utilities’s failure to approve this project is not going to stand up to legal scrutiny. It’s been more than 4 years since Gov. Christie signed off-shore wind legislation into law – it’s time to start moving.”
Press release; Image: environmentnewjersey