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Tags(This is an Op-Ed submission from a group of wind developers, supply chain manufacturers and environmental groups. They are listed at the end)
In August 2010, New Jersey’s legislature, guided by Senate President Stephen Sweeney, passed and Governor Christie signed the landmark Offshore Wind Economic Development Act. In adopting this law, New Jersey made a strong commitment to continue the shift to clean, renewable energy; creating new, good-paying jobs, keeping more of our energy dollars here in New Jersey, and reducing pollution.
We are New Jersey businesses eager to provide services and equipment to the offshore wind farms and grid connection systems that will be built as a result of this legislation. We are environmental organizations urgently calling for the reduction of carbon emissions through large-scale deployment of New Jersey’s largest renewable resource: offshore wind.
And we are the wind farm and grid connection system developers who will be organizing the billions of dollars of investment in New Jersey’s economy needed to build the projects. We are all proud to join together in commending the New Jersey legislature and Governor Christie on their forward-looking leadership to build this new industry for the state. We are also asking the state’s leadership to redouble their efforts to implement this important policy, to ensure that we don’t miss out on the tremendous economic and environmental benefits inherent in offshore wind development.
According to a study by the global analytics firm IHS, constructing 3,000MW of offshore wind and shared grid connection in New Jersey will create over 10,000 full-time jobs in the state. The large majority of these jobs are good-paying, high-skilled jobs in areas like manufacturing, construction, engineering, and marine industries, and especially well-suited to New Jersey’s skilled workforce. This offshore wind investment in New Jersey will increase the state’s economic output by $9 billion, resulting in over $2 billion dollars in new revenue to state and local government coffers.
Offshore wind energy is also New Jersey’s key to achieving significant carbon reductions while providing the energy a strong economy needs, and keeping more of the state’s energy expenditures in the local economy. And as a pollution-free resource, offshore wind will help improve our air quality by displacing aging generation.
What is needed to realize the many benefits of the state’s offshore wind policy? New Jersey can get to work building its offshore wind by 1) finalizing the rules and opening the application window for Offshore Renewable Energy Credits (ORECs), which is essential to securing financing for wind farms; and 2) moving ahead with the development of the New Jersey Energy Link, the offshore electric transmission system that offers the most efficient means to connect offshore wind projects to the state’s grid.
The Board of Public Utilities has been diligent in developing the OREC program, and incorporating the input of a large and diverse set of stakeholders. There remains an urgent need, however, to finalize the funding mechanism soon, and then open the application window for offshore wind projects.
We must also act now to ensure an efficient grid connection system is in place before the wind farms begin producing power. While any one wind project could make a direct connection to shore, a shared connection system, such as the New Jersey Energy Link, can provide a more economically efficient and environmental beneficial means of connecting the numerous projects with New Jersey’s power grid. The New Jersey Energy Link will help lower the state’s energy prices by delivering offshore wind energy into northern New Jersey, where the demand for electricity is greatest. And, a shared offshore connection system will improve the state’s electric grid reliability and resilience against major storms.
Cleaner air, fighting climate change, a more efficient and robust grid, new business opportunities, and job creation are goals we all share – and are all within reach through offshore wind. The framework is in place, we know where the wind farms will go, and developers stand ready to invest and start hiring. Now it’s up to Governor Christie, the legislature and the Board of Public Utilities to finish the OREC process and advance the New Jersey Energy Link. It’s time to get New Jersey’s offshore wind industry underway.
If you want to know about whether wind displaces fossil fuel use, reputable engineers are a better bet.
Try this report from the IEEE:
Wind Power Myths Debunked
"A conservative example serves to illustrate the fuel-consumption and emissions impacts stemming from wind’s regulation requirements. Compare three situations: 1) a block of energy is provided by fossil-fueled plants; 2) the same block of energy is provided by wind plants that require no incremental reserves; and 3) the same block of energy is provided by wind plants that do have incremental reserve requirements. It is assumed that the average fleet fossil-fuel efficiency is unchanged between situations one and two. This might not be precisely correct, but a sophisticated operational simulation is required to address this issue quantitatively. In fact, this has been done in several studies, which bear out the general conclusions reached in this simple example. In situation one, an amount of fuel is burned to produce the block of energy. In situation two, all of that fuel is saved and all of the associated emissions are avoided. In situation three, it is assumed that 3% of the fossil generation is needed to provide reserves, all of these reserves are spinning, and that this generation incurs a 25% efficiency penalty. The corresponding fuel consumption necessary to provide the needed reserves is then 4% of the fuel required to generate the entire block of energy. Hence, the actual fuel and emissions savings percentage in situation three relative to situation one is 96% rather than 100%. The great majority of initially estimated fuel savings does in fact occur, however, and the notion that wind’s variations would actually increase system fuel consumption does not withstand scrutiny."
http://www.forbes.com/2011/07/19/wind-energy-carbon.htmlhttp://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_15081808
http://www.clepair.net/IerlandUdo.html
http://www.thespec.com/news/ontario/article/610422--cost-of-green-energy-40-higher-than-government-estimates
The wind industry is built on crony capitalism, it is the only way it can exist. Taxpayer and ratepayer subsidies build them and power companies are mandated to buy wind generated power at much higher rates than conventionally produced power. There is no true benefit, except to wind power companies, politicians and lobbyists. Get ready to pay a lot more on your electric bills if offshore wind proliferates.
http://www.forbes.com/2011/07/19/wind-energy-carbon.htmlhttp://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_15081808
http://www.clepair.net/IerlandUdo.html
http://www.thespec.com/news/ontario/article/610422--cost-of-green-energy-40-higher-than-government-estimates
The wind industry is built on crony capitalism, it is the only way it can exist. Taxpayer and ratepayer subsidies build them and power companies are mandated to buy wind generated power at much higher rates than conventionally produced power. There is no true benefit, except to wind power companies, politicians and lobbyists. Get ready to pay a lot more on your electric bills if offshore wind proliferates. Also, the permitting for offshore wind tribunes will set precedents for the permitting of oil rigs. Be careful what you wish for!
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