New Jersey is thinking about harvesting wind power by allowing a series of windmills to be built off of the Jersey Shore. The idea is to produce renewable, "green" energy that will not pollute or contribute to global warming. It's like having your energy cake and eating it, too.

The Corzine administration is floating the idea of constructing as many as 80 wind- powered turbines that would tower 30 stories above the surface of the Atlantic Ocean somewhere between southern Ocean County and Cape May.

But not all environmentalists are onboard with the concept. Some are concerned that giant windmills will cause unforeseen problems and destroy the ocean view that lures millions of visitors and billions of dollars to the state's beaches. As Timothy P. Dillingham, di rector of the New Jersey chapter of the American Littoral Society, succinctly put it, "We are talking about building an industrial facility out in the ocean."

The Sierra Club of New Jersey, however, supports the wind farm plan. Director Jeff Tittel points out that the biggest threat to the shore is global warming, and if we do nothing about that, "there will be no Jersey Shore left." Tittel downplayed the visual impact the windmills would have, say ing that at a distance of three miles from shore, "they will look like a pencil," and at five miles they will not be seen at all.

Using wind as a source of energy is not a new concept, as il lustrated by the iconic windmills that have long graced the lowlands of Holland. What is new is the technology and scope of wind farming. A 200-turbine farm is planned 11.5 miles off the coast of Rehoboth Beach in Delaware, and a 130-unit farm is eyed for Nantucket Sound, off the coast of Massachusetts. A total of 16 offshore wind farms already are operational in five European countries.

Still, the new high-tech wind farms are not balancing out as cost-effective for some areas. The Long Island Power Authority recently scrapped its plans to build a 40-turbine wind energy center in the Atlantic, when costs escalated past $700 million. Likewise, a plan to erect 170 turbines off the Texas coast in the Gulf of Mexico has been called off because of the potential cost.

Here in New Jersey, the administration is conducting a series of studies on the feasibility and the environmental and economic impacts "to push for ward with an offshore wind project," according to a spokesman for Gov. Jon Corzine. The governor's energy policy calls for 20 percent of the state's electricity to be wind- or solar- generated by 2020, and 80 percent by 2050.

It is a laudable goal. Wind has great potential to become an important part of our energy portfolio. But we encourage Gov. Corzine to take a cautious approach and make sure that the environmental and economic questions are answered before we allow the giant windmills to sprout up along our coast.