Lawsuits could delay the start of New Jersey's first offshore wind power project
A tangle of litigation could delay the start of New Jersey’s first offshore wind energy project
OCEAN CITY, N.J. — A tangle of litigation could delay the start of New Jersey's first offshore wind energy project, as developer Orsted is suing governments to stop delaying necessary permits, and citizens groups try to halt the project altogether.
The latest in a fast-growing thicket of litigation came July 3 when Danish wind power developer Orsted sued Cape May County, alleging the government is dragging its feet in issuing a road permit needed to do test work along the route a power cable would run.
The company is also suing the city of Ocean City over similar delays to the project, which the federal government has endorsed as a significant piece in the White House's efforts to “jump-start the offshore wind industry across the country,” in order to tackle the catastrophic effects of climate change.
Last month, three citizens groups opposed to offshore wind — Save Long Beach Island, Defend Brigantine Beach, and Protect Our Coast NJ — filed an appeal of New Jersey’s determination that the Ocean Wind I project is consistent with state coastal management rules.
And one of those groups, Save Long Beach Island, is also suing a federal agency, the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, over its creation of offshore wind lease sites off the coast of New Jersey.
Orsted is turning to the courts to try to end government inertia that could threaten its goal to begin construction in the fall.
Its lawsuit against Cape May County claims the delay in issuing a road work permit has already delayed the project. The state Board of Public Utilities in February issued an order saying the proposed cable route is necessary for the project to
Read more on abcnews.go.com
