At least two groups want to build wind turbines off the Atlantic City coast to provide an alternative source of energy and become the first offshore wind farm in the United States. Bluewater Wind wants to erect 116 wind turbines about 15 miles off the Atlantic City coast, and approached the Atlantic County Board of Freeholders last month to pitch their project. Also in the running is a group headed by commercial fishermen calling itself Fishermen's Energy of New Jersey, which would have 74 turbines. Atlantic City Mayor Scott Evans endorsed the concept on Tuesday.

At least two groups want to build wind turbines off the Atlantic City coast to provide an alternative source of energy and become the first offshore wind farm in the United States.

Bluewater Wind wants to erect 116 wind turbines about 15 miles off the Atlantic City coast, and approached the Atlantic County Board of Freeholders last month to pitch their project.

Also in the running is a group headed by commercial fishermen calling itself Fishermen's Energy of New Jersey, which would have 74 turbines.

Atlantic City Mayor Scott Evans endorsed the concept on Tuesday.

"Wind energy will save the taxpayers money because it will create a stable energy cost structure that will not fluctuate over a 20-year contract period," he said.

Daniel Cohen, president of Fishermen's Energy and principal shareholder of Atlantic Capes Fisheries, a top scallop harvester, said his group's project would be very similar to the five land-based turbines that the Atlantic County Utilities Authority operates in Atlantic City, "except that it will be three miles offshore in the ocean."

Each of the offshore projects could generate about 350 megawatts of energy _ enough to power between 87,000 to 105,000 homes each day, the firms say.

In their presentation to the Atlantic County freeholders, Bluewater Wind officials said wind is an inexhaustible source of energy that does not contribute to global warming.

Various state and federal agencies have jurisdiction over waters where the turbines would be built.

Clean Ocean Action, New Jersey's leading coastal environmental organization, has not taken a position on the proposed wind farms.

"We are not opposed to offshore wind as a concept," said Kari Martin, an official with the group. "We'd like to see that it has been approved as an appropriate use of the ocean, based on sound scientific studies."

Last October, the state Board of Public Utilities approved up to $19 million worth of grants to support development of an offshore wind farm in New Jersey.

Wind energy eventually could supply about 20 percent of the nation's electricity, according to Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratory, a federal research lab.

 

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