Wind turbines will help — not hurt — the Jersey Shore

New Jerseyans are fighting for our lives on the front lines of a changing climate. Our way of life at the Jersey Shore is in danger — climate change is the greatest threat to our ocean, New Jersey coastal communities, and habitats.

We’ve already begun to see firsthand the damaging effects of climate change through more frequent flooding, more forceful storms and climate-fueled weather events, and steadily rising sea levels. We’re facing the threat of losing historic barrier islands, and have seen devastating impacts to our agriculture, wildlife, and fishing industries, as well as coastal erosion.

To protect and preserve New Jersey coastal communities and habitats for generations to come, the environmental community in New Jersey supports responsibly developed offshore wind. An overwhelming majority of New Jersey voters also agree that offshore wind is necessary for combating climate change.

Which is why we welcome news that South Jersey is set to become the site of hundreds of offshore wind turbines, which will generate clean energy to help power the state.

Offshore wind is a vast, untapped resource that can help us not only reach our climate and environmental goals, but also our energy and economic goals. The development and distribution of clean, renewable offshore wind energy will support the creation of thousands of secure, well-paying union jobs and a stable year-round economy for New Jersey.

“New Jersey is perfectly positioned — by location and with our local labor pool — to be a hub for offshore wind.”

Gov. Phil Murphy has already made offshore wind a priority for the state, aiming to reach 7,500 megawatts of offshore wind by 2035, which is estimated to bring 11,000 offshore wind jobs and economic opportunities for local workers.

New Jersey is perfectly positioned — by location and with our local labor pool — to be a hub for offshore wind. There is simply no better site to anchor offshore wind manufacturing facilities in the nation than the epicenter of the nation’s fast-emerging offshore wind supply-chain hub, where New Jersey residents and our environment will benefit most from its production and use. (One of the companies with a lease to build an offshore wind farm just spent more than $23 million to buy an entire city block bordering the Atlantic City Boardwalk, although it hasn’t yet disclosed why.)

» READ MORE: N.J. offshore wind company paid $23 million for a full city block along the A.C. Boardwalk, but won’t yet say what it’s for

Not every New Jersey resident is as excited as we are to welcome offshore wind turbines, and have raised concerns about the impact on tourism, for instance. All too often, stated concerns over offshore wind are smokescreens for the real issue on folks’ minds: They don’t want to look at wind turbines.

But wind turbines can be beautiful, and places that have offshore wind have actually seen growth in environmental tourism.

Many people like looking at wind farms. New Jersey could benefit by combining ecotourism with some of our existing options such as fishing and water sports, which would grow the local economy and create opportunities for local businesses, such as restaurants, service businesses, and souvenir shops.

Most importantly, since switching to clean energy sources will help combat climate change, residents won’t have to experience flooding in their homes and businesses, beach erosion, and storm damage, all of which will negatively affect beach tourism and our communities much more than any wind farm ever could.

Through offshore wind lease auctions and Congress’ recently passed Inflation Reduction Act, federal support has increased the pressure and raised the bar when it comes to our nation’s clean energy goals. The Inflation Reduction Act invests $370 billion into building a responsible clean energy economy to power our homes, businesses, and lives.

The climate crisis is here, and New Jersey coastal communities and habitats cannot wait any longer. We all need to come together and do our part to protect and preserve our beloved coastal communities and habitats.

New Jersey needs to continue to swiftly embrace the transition to and begin producing responsibly developed, clean, renewable energy like offshore wind to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Ed Potosnak is the executive director of the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters, a nonpartisan organization whose mission is to elect environmental champions, hold public officials accountable, and support laws that protect our environment and improve the quality of people’s lives.