NJ Congressman Jeff Van Drew slammed Governor Murphy after hiring his former acting deputy chief of staff to lead a new offshore wind advocacy group.
Paulina Banasiak has been named executive director of the New Jersey Offshore Wind Alliance.
Banasiak, a political operative, is VP of The Zita Group, a Trenton lobbying firm.
Banasiak is also a board member of the CRDA, Casino Reinvestment Development Authority in Atlantic City.
Jeff Van Drew has been a vocal critic of offshore wind development along the coast, particularly the Orsted and U.S. Wind projects in the Atlantic Ocean.
Watch public hearing on offshore wind in Ocean City, MD on January 20, 2024.
The purpose of the hearing was to share potential dangers of offshore wind and its negative impacts on marine life, tourism, the commercial fishing industry, and U.S. defense.
Van Drew sent Governor Murphy and the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) a letter questioning an emergency meeting set for this week to approve additional offshore wind projects.
‘Despite numerous lawsuits, public forums, hearings, and rallies all across the state of New Jersey, Governor Murphy continues to ignore the will of the people and only cares about lining the pockets of offshore wind corporations.’
‘The people of South Jersey have made it clear: we do not want our coasts to be industrialized by massive offshore wind farms,’ said Congressman Van Drew.
‘I will continue to fight these projects and mobilize local and state officials to ensure that any future projects are halted, just like Orsted canceled Ocean Wind,’ added Congressman Van Drew.
‘Offshore wind will be controlled by foreign nations, it will destroy tourism and local businesses in the state, energy prices will rise, and these groups still refuse to conduct analyses on the long-term effects these projects will have on our environment and marine life.’
Click here to read the full letter.
The CRDA board acts as the Planning Board within Atlantic City’s Tourism District. Ventnor Mayor Lance Landgraf runs that division of CRDA.
As a CRDA board member, Banasiak has been tasked with addressing rising gun violence and murder in Atlantic City.