Cape May County to Host Wind Farm Discussion in Ocean City

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This image depicts what the towering wind turbines would have looked like off the South Jersey coast. (Courtesy of Orsted)

The director of the Cape May County Board of Commissioners, Leonard Desiderio, and Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian will hold a public information session on Wednesday 6 p.m. at the Ocean City Tabernacle to discuss Orsted’s wind farm project.

Officials have joined for information sessions on the proposed project following a series of whale deaths along the Jersey Shore and other coastal communities.

“There have been a lot of questions about what steps the County of Cape May has taken in connection with the efforts of the wind company Orsted to place windmills off the shores of Cape May County,” Desiderio said in a county news release.

He continued, “On Wednesday, March 15th, we will provide the public with information, and we want to hear the public’s questions and concerns. We have been working with the City of Ocean City for many months now to challenge the process at the Board of Public Utilities used by Orsted to set aside Home Rule. Our partnership continues, including this first of several Public Information Sessions.”

The wind farm company, Orsted, filed petitions in recent months, against Cape May County and Ocean City before the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (“BPU”).

Despite the objections of both the county and Ocean City, as well as those of the Office of New Jersey Rate Counsel, the BPU pushed aside the elected officials of the county and Ocean City and gave Orsted permission to file environmental permit applications and took interests in public lands away from the County and Ocean City and gave them to Orsted, according to the news release.

Anyone interested in attending may visit capewindinfo.com and register for the public information session.