U.S. Comptroller will investigate offshore wind development

The Government Accountability Office (GAO), the federal agency tasked with audits and investigations, informed Rep. Chris Smith (R-Manchester) yesterday that it will open an investigation into the impacts of wind development off the Jersey Shore.

In the early months of this year, an unusual number of dead whales washed up along the shore, a phenomenon which many Republican politicians blamed on the ongoing construction of wind farms in the Atlantic Ocean.

Responding to the spate of deaths, Smith successfully amended a House bill in March to require the GAO to investigate, but while the bill passed the GOP-led House, it stands no chance of passing the Senate. Smith forged ahead by joining with several House colleagues, among them Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-Dennis), to directly petition the U.S. Comptroller – a request that the Comptroller, who leads the GAO, evidently took seriously.

“This aggressive, independent investigation into the ocean-altering impacts of the 3,400 offshore wind turbines slated for the Jersey Shore will help address the wide-ranging questions and concerns that the Biden Administration and Governor Murphy continue to dismiss as they plow full steam ahead with this unprecedented offshore wind industrialization of our shore,” Smith said yesterday in a statement.

It’s not clear what the timeframe for the investigation will be, or how its ultimate findings will be presented. Given that there has been a drastic reduction in whale deaths in recent months, that part of the investigation may not be as prominent as it previously would have been, but the GAO also plans to look at how offshore wind will impact commercial fishing, military operations, and more.

But three GOP state senators in New Jersey – Mike Testa (R-Vineland), Vince Polistina (R-Egg Harbor), and Anthony M. Bucco (R-Boonton) – said yesterday that they were heartened by the decision to open an investigation, something they’ve repeatedly called for at the state level.

“We’re glad someone is finally listening because environmental groups like the Sierra Club and Greenpeace certainly aren’t,” said Testa, who represents a district covering the southernmost part of the Shore. “Hopefully, the GAO will finally give us some real answers about the impact of wind farms, both in terms of lives and dollars.”

And the three Republicans running in the 11th legislative district, one of the state’s most competitive districts, used the announcement of the investigation to renew their call for a moratorium on development until more research is done.

“The only people not concerned with marine wildlife are Democrats in Trenton and in Washington,” Assemblywoman Marilyn Piperno (R-Colts Neck) said. “It’s time to put a hold on offshore wind exploration, gather the facts, and make an informed decision.”

This story was updated at 2:28 p.m. with more information about the investigation and a statement from 11th district Republicans.