No Calls For Offshore Wind Moratorium In Lacey: Here's Why

LACEY, NJ — A recent number of dead whales washing up on the Jersey Shore has caused alarm for many, who attribute the deaths to offshore wind activity in the area.

In the wake of this, 30 Jersey Shore mayors have signed a letter asking for an immediate moratorium on offshore wind development - but Lacey is not one of them.

Mayor Timothy McDonald addressed this at a recent Township Committee after a resident asked why he was one of the few to not sign the letter.

McDonald cited the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) report tracking humpback whale deaths on the East Coast. "These are the experts," he said of NOAA.

Since 2016, what NOAA calls an "Unusual Mortality Event" has been tracked, which predates offshore wind activity in the region, McDonald said.

"Correlating the two now is not based on science," McDonald said.

Ocean Wind 1, the offshore wind project currently being developed and planned to be off the coast of Ocean City, will use Lacey as part of the project.

A substation will be built in a vacant area on the former Oyster Creek power plant property. It will connect the offshore wind energy to the power grid on land.

Utilization of the power plant property benefits Lacey residents, said Deputy Mayor Steven Kennis.

When asked what the township would do if the windmills fail or cause some sort of "catastrophe," causing tourism to decline in the state and property values to decrease while taxes rise, Kennis said that it's "irrelevant to [the Committee's] responsibility."

By getting the best use out of the power plant property, Kennis said, property taxes in Lacey remain stable.

"Our position is that if somebody wants to come in and connect to our power grid through the power plant, we're generally in favor of whatever that is," Kennis said.

McDonald said that the Committee would take requests to sign the letter "under advisement."

"I'm only one vote. There's four other people who vote on this whole issue," McDonald said. "We'll discuss it and come up with a majority decision and we go from there."