Governor Jon S. Corzine
Executive Order #12 (Codey)
23 December 2004
"...The Blue Ribbon Panel is charged with identifying
and weighing the costs and benefits of developing offshore
wind turbine facilities, and considering both economic
and environmental costs and benefits. The Blue Ribbon Panel
shall also consider the need for offshore wind turbines
and a comparison to other electric power sources, including
fossil, nuclear and renewable fuels as part of the State's
long-term electricity needs..."
Dear Reader:
On behalf of the Blue Ribbon Panel on Development of Wind
Turbine
Facilities in Coastal Waters, I am pleased to present the
enclosed
report as required by Executive Order 12 (Codey). Pursuant
to the
Order, this report contains policy recommendations regarding
the
appropriateness of developing offshore wind turbine facilities
for
New Jersey's coastal waters.
During the process leading to submission of this report,
the Blue
Ribbon Panel received testimony at six public hearings,
including at least one in each of New Jersey's four oceanfront counties.
We also received numerous documents by mail and through this Web
site. Members of this Panel, as well as staff from the three
agencies
assisting us, each brought a particular and invaluable
expertise to
bear as we investigated the issues addressed in this report.
Through this process, ours became the first state to conduct a
fully transparent investigation of the costs and benefits of
developing offshore wind turbine facilities.
New Jersey faces a serious and growing energy crisis.
The rapidly rising cost of electricity threatens economic growth and
the quality of life in this state. Because no single source of renewable
power can solve our energy crisis, we believe New Jersey must
assume a leadership role in addressing these issues and aggressively
tackle this problem on multiple fronts.
While this Panel has found there is a lack of comprehensive
information on potential impacts of offshore wind turbine development, these facilities show promise as part of New Jersey's
long-term energy solution. Therefore, it is the recommendation
of this panel that New Jersey proceed with a limited test
project only,
not to exceed 350 megawatts, to obtain practical knowledge
of benefits and impacts resulting from offshore wind turbine
facilities.
These efforts must be preceded by scientific baseline studies
that collect basic data about the existence, location and nature
of New
Jersey's offshore natural resources, in addition to information regarding potential economic impacts of offshore wind.
Very truly yours,
Edward J. McKenna, Jr., Chair
November Interim Report
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