Wind Committee Report
By the time you read this article, the “wind port” project at Paulsboro may be in a state of hibernation. Stockpiles of wind turbine monopiles manufactured there are being disassembled. It is doubtful whether any offshore wind energy farms will be built in New Jersey over the next four years. Gov. Murphy’s bold vision for offshore wind is a shambles.
President Trump, who seeks to foster oil and gas development, despite the inherent emissions danger, has issued a moratorium against new development of offshore wind projects. Trump is also blocking offshore wind projects that already received federal permits.
The opposition to wind power, which includes right-leaning politicians and NJ shore towns, has distributed a series of never-ending lies about offshore wind power, beginning with “it kills whales” and ending with “it cannot coexist with the fisheries industry.” Such misinformation plays into the hands of fossil fuel interests by prejudicing the public against wind energy, which is substantially cleaner and better for the environment than coal, oil, and gas.
In the meantime, offshore wind is far better established in states such as Maine, Virginia, Massachusetts, and New York. At least two of those states have offshore systems that are now fully online. In New Jersey, Paulsboro and a sister wind port in Salem County still have a role to play in offshore wind, according to state officials, although the promise of many new jobs in this industry has dimmed.
While the offshore wind situation in New Jersey is bleak, renewable power in the United States is doing much better than Trump would like. The reason that solar and onshore wind power are doing well is simple: economics. A 2023 report, based on International Energy Agency data, indicated that “Overall, solar and onshore wind remain the cheapest option for new electricity generation in most countries.”
In the United States, solar has stepped in to supply a large chunk of the energy demand in many states. In the West, land-based wind turbines are churning out significant levels of power. In Iowa, South Dakota, and Kansas, renewable power produces more than half of the electricity. There are nine more states where renewables produce more than a third of their power.
Strangely, politicians in Texas (which produces more wind power than any other state) recently passed a law that requires utilities to build more fossil fuel plants when they build more renewable power. Ostensibly, the reason is to ensure backup power is available in case of system failures.
Electric power demand is up greatly all over the country—US electricity demand is forecast to grow by 16% over the next five years. Unfortunately, the grid is not keeping up with the demand. Here in the Northeast, our grid operator, PJM Interconnection, has a two-year backlog to approve the connection of a new generating facility. Adding to the delays, there has been a surge in applications for new renewable energy projects, such as wind and solar farms, as well as fossil fuel power plants.
While it is true that there have been challenges and delays in new grid construction and infrastructure development within PJM’s territory, it’s important to note that there have also been ongoing projects and investments aimed at addressing these issues. There are several “smart grid” ideas floating around, including advanced digital, communications, and automation technologies designed to improve the efficiency, reliability, and resilience of the electric power grid, but these don’t eliminate the need for new towers, wires, and substations.
The hope is that more clean energy generating projects will be in the pipeline soon.