Letter to Editor from Anne H. Phillips of Brigantine:
Offshore wind developers, green energy proponents and governmental officials including Governor Murphy continue to publicize and promote false information regarding economic benefits to our state and counties from these projects.
It’s estimated by the NJ Council on the Green Economy that in the next 10 years offshore wind will create over 9,500 jobs per year. That’s a persuasive number to the public and politicians, designed to deceive them and to quiet opposition.
Analyses and facts reveal the truth.
These projects are being imposed on our coastline without regard of any harmful consequences or consideration of any reasonable alternatives (such as micro-nuclear, for example).
Guaranteed jobs in the offshore projects are few.
For example, Atlantic Shores LLC in NJ guarantees 88 jobs during the operations and maintenance phases and offers no job guarantee for the development and construction phases. While its documents claim that there will be a positive economic impact, the significant negative effect on tourism revealed in scientific studies of this issue is ignored.
How much does this “job creation” cost taxpayers/ratepayers?
Major financial “gifts” are tax incentives, tax credits and subsidies, all from taxpayers and ratepayers. This financial support is 31 times more than for oil/gas and 70 times more than for nuclear. Most of these companies are foreign/multinational, which means that these subsidies etc. will not benefit U.S. companies.
The estimated 16,000 annual tourism job loss in Atlantic and Ocean counties’ coastal communities dwarfs Atlantic Shore’s average 2,200 annual job creation in New Jersey for their three projects. This adds up to a net $1.3 billion loss in New Jersey’s average annual gross domestic product. This is harmful, not beneficial, to our economy.
Offshore wind energy is weather dependent, unreliable, costlier than other sources and has a fossil-fuel backup (the “bad” energy source).
This plan for our coastline is the most complex, destructive, inefficient and expensive energy source available. It makes no sense.
Anne H. Phillips, Brigantine
Read full report here. https://defendbrigantinebeach.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Atlantic-Shores-Offshore-Wind-NJ-Economic-Impact-Jobs-and-GDP-August-2024-rev3.pdf
I AM NOT A CLIMATE CHANGE DENIER. I AM A CLIMATE CHANGE THINKER
I believe in climate change, not climate catastrophe. The world has warmed 1 degree C in the last 170 years. Humans have some influence. But because we are so adaptable, the climate death rate has fallen 98% over the last century. Humans with abundant machine power can master climate. That’s why as CO2 levels have gone up, climate deaths have plummeted. The only humane policies are more adaptation to keep us safe and more innovation to make low-carbon energy cheap. (see any and all writings by Alex Epstein) so, PLEASE stop with this Offshore Wind Madne$$.
Thank you Anne H. Phillips, Brigantine for your thorough report, “Economic Study on the Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Turbine Power Plant Developments off the New Jersey Coastline”. It is ALWAYS GOOD to read a super informative piece that is not financed by the wind industry or our own government’s political climate industrial complex. I know that kind of reading and research takes a great deal of time.
I believe that the information supplied by Atlantic Shores is completely inaccurate and incomplete. We are dealing with global politics and global money. They value stakeholders not our oceans. The only thing green about wind and solar is the money which comes from taxpayers/ratepayers pockets.
I believe our highly political “climate industrial complex” enables Western governments and international bodies like the United Nations to exert soft power over poorer countries’ energy policies. neither fair nor equitable to me. (please google the not-reported in the press, and not discussed on the nightly news: UNITED NATIONS 9.22.24 79th SESSION MEETING “World Leaders Pledge Bold Action to Protect Present, Future Generations amid Climate Crisis, Conflicts Gripping Globe, as General Assembly Adopts Pact for Future”). this United Nations Pact was and is very quiet. shhhh
This is a vitally important piece that was adopted again, very quietly, to “protect” the needs and interests of present and future generations amid the CLIMATE CHANGE, CRISIS AND CONFLICT GRIPPING THE GLOBE. this is complete bullshit-climate fear porn aka climate colonialism. The pessimistic UN is talking about a few degrees of warming and a few feet of sea level rises *over a century*. We can adapt to that with today’s technology, let alone future tech. While climate change catastrophists claim that our climate is less livable than ever because of fossil fuels, it is actually more livable than ever thanks to our fossil fuel powered climate protection systems. think about it
Advancing a so-called green agenda in the name of saving humanity from a fabricated climate emergency and offering irresistible handouts of money and technology, our government -our colonists, insist on replacing fossil fuels with unreliable and expensive wind and solar. Many Democratic (and i was a democrat for most of my life) politicians claim that if America rapidly eliminates fossil fuel use, even at enormous cost, it will be worth it to lower CO2 levels and void a climate crisis. But the U.S. causes less than 1/6 of global emissions and falling (see The U.S. EIA International Energy Outlook 2019 reference case).
The main reason global CO2 emissions are rising is because billions of people in the developing world are bringing themselves out of poverty by using fossil fuels to power factories, farms, vehicles, and appliances. (again, EIA 2019) I would think that this alone would give our Democratic party in this country something to cheer about. Helping diverse peoples here and all over the world live better lives. right? Billions out of poverty using fossil fuels. This should be good news. right?
Reliable energy saves lives. Unreliable solar and wind does not.
10’s of millions of Americans live in energy poverty–a growing problem, again, thanks to wasteful, unreliable solar and wind infrastructure. If we want to stop making our poorest citizens choose between food and heat or medicine and electricity, we must end favoritism for “UNRELIABLES” wind and solar.
DO YOU HEAR THIS ATLANTIC CITY CITY COUNCIL? Sport- you will decimate our neighborhoods, our 5th ward, our ocean, the fishing industry, our tourism-our city.
Forever.
Let’s talk more about CO2 some more. Call to Democrats: Again, the developing world overwhelmingly uses fossil fuels because that is by far the lowest-cost way for them to get reliable energy and live healthier longer lives. Think of premature babies…You can’t run an incubator on unreliable solar and wind. That’s why China and India have hundreds of new coal plants under construction (Global Coal Tracker by Global Energy Monitor, July 2020). They want reliable energy. Gosh- why would they work so hard to help supply us with unreliable wind and solar energy and their component parts? think there will be supply chain issues?
Let’s get smart. The only way to lower CO2 emissions and benefit America is to promote innovation that makes low-carbon energy truly reliable and low-cost. Are China and India going to stop using fossil fuels so long as they are the lowest-cost option? They won’t and they shouldn’t. America can lower emissions and energy costs by DECRIMINALIZING nuclear energy. Nuclear is actually the safest source of energy and the only way to provide reliable non-carbon electricity anywhere in the world. Yet politicians are regulating it to death. why? shit
America can also lower emissions and energy costs by lifting irrational restrictions on natural gas, such as anti-fracking policies and pipeline opposition. The fossil fuel bans and “renewables only” policies supported by most Democratic politicians will make American energy incredibly unreliable and expensive. That won’t stop CO2 emissions from rising but it will ruin our American economy. If America tries to rapidly eliminate fossil fuel use through a Green New Deal or Biden/Harris Climate Plan we will not prevent a crisis, we will cause a crisis by making energy completely unreliable and unaffordable for American industry and American consumers. Please remember this when you vote. We are in this together.
Sadly, many of those who oppose these monstrosities in our ocean will continue to vote for those who are promoting (and possibly reaping the rewards) by authorizing them. I too am a former Democrat who has seen the light.
Bravo, Bravo LuLu! Very informative and 100% accurate.
Lulu has it pegged. Her letter is well written, to the point andI agree with the whole thing.
Anne Philips and Lulu have done an excellent job calling out the offshore wind industry, using facts.
Please go to our website,
Defendourbeachesnj.org for up to date research .