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Comparisons of the Benefits and Costs of Developing Offshore Wind in New Jersey based on Interim Report
All Data and Information used to develop this Table were taken from the Interim Report (Nov 2005) of the New Jersey Blue Ribbon Panel on Development of Wind Turbine Facilities in Coastal Waters
Resource
Potential Benefits
300 MW of Energy Production per Development 1
Potential Costs/Impacts
16 square miles of ocean space per Development
Wind energy has a total technical potential to produce Represents 10% of the ocean beyond 3 miles offshore
approx. 2600 MW of electricity
between Seasides Heights and Cape May
Reduced Air Emissions
Partially offset by emissions associated with construction,
operation, and maintenance
Air and Water Quality
Reduced Water Use
- Increased suspended sediments during construction
Reduced Wastewater Discharge
- Risks associated with the storage of oil/fuel on platforms
and maintenance ships
Caveats - from Interim Report
A 300MW facility would represents 2% of NJ Electricity
Production. (Actual amount of energy that will be
produced by a wind turbine facility is between 10-20% of
the named capacity (300MW) 2)
Cannot provide "base load" power due to intermitten
nature of wind
Same reductions can be achieved using any zeroemissions technology (terrestrial wind, solar, etc)
For a 300MW Facility, the water reduction is equivilent
to 0.125 of water used by Oyster Creek Nuclear
Generating Station
Actual quantifiable environmental benefits will depend
on the actual type of energy being replaced (nuclear,
coal, natural gas…)
- Risk associated with hazardous cable insulation material
- Displacement of birds to avoid turbine fields
Birds
- Collisions with turbine blades and associated structures
- Impacts expected to be greatest for migratory species
- There is an absence of data and information on
impacts, as no wind facilities currently exist off the US
coastline.
- Displacement and collisions could be reduced through
siting turbines away from areas of high ecological
significance
- Location of highest wind (Cape May) coincides with
location of large number of migrating birds
- Species may learn to avoid turbines
Prepared by Clean Ocean Action
January 2006
Resource
Potential Benefits
Potential Costs/Impacts
Caveats - from Interim Report
- Serious concerns over vessel collisions
- There is an absence of data and information on
impacts, as no wind facilities currently exist off the US
coastline.
- Habitat Exclusion from the maze of turbines
- Data on abundance, distribution and regular pathways
along the NJ coast are lacking.
Marine Mammals
- Noise emitted during both construction and operations may
be aversive
- Aversion may exclude them from areas that are highly
productive in food resources or are part of a migratory route
Marine Turtles
- Serious concerns over vessel collisions
- There is an absence of data and information on
impacts, as no wind facilities currently exist off the US
coastline.
- Degradation/alteration of habitat
- Data on abundance, distribution and regular pathways
along the NJ coast are lacking.
- Electromagnetic fields produced by transmission cables and
structures may disrupt navigation necessary for seasonal
migration to breeding areas
- Impacts range from direct mortality to food web alterations
Fish
- There is an absence of data and information on
impacts, as no wind facilities currently exist off the US
coastline.
- Impacts may be the result of vessel traffic, noise, increased - The underwater hard surfaces of the turbines may
turbidity, pile driving and stress-induced trauma.
create an artificial reef-like structure, that could alter
species composition, benefiting some populations and
- Construction may cause temporary habitat exclusion,
displacing others, although the habitat change and
reduced spawning success.
species shift may prove to be insignificant on a total
area basis (Humane Society Testimony as interpreted
- Elasmobranchs (sharks and rays) may be adversely
affected by electromagnetic fields produced by transmission by the Blue Ribbon Panel on Development of Wind
Turbine Facilities in Coastal Waters).
cables and structures.
Prepared by Clean Ocean Action
January 2006
Resource
Potential Benefits
Potential Costs/Impacts
Caveats - from Interim Report
- The presence of structures and cables would restrict many - Assumes access is allowed (many of the European
of the most popular mobile gear including trawls, dredges and wind farms restrict commercial fishing access to some
degree).
seine nets.
- Serious concerns over collisions with turbines especially
from drifting in the area while hauling nets/pots, conducting
emergency repairs or idling for other reasons.
Commercial Fishing
- Impacts of turbines on fish populations would also
impact any fishery associated with that species.
- Disruption of navigational routes, resulting in additional
costs of fuel and time, to avoid the area due to safety
concerns.
Recreational Fishing
Tourism
Aesthetic Value
Fishing for certain species may be enhanced by the
reef characteristics associated with the structures.
There may be tourism related to curiosity over the
wind turbines
- Concerns over collisions with turbines
- Assumes access is allowed
- Disruption of navigational routes, resulting in additional
costs of fuel and time, to avoid the area due to safety
concerns.
- Impacts of turbines on fish populations would also
impact any fishery associated with that species.
- The ability to see the structures from the shore or from
- A 5% impact on tourism would result in a gain/loss of
vessels may negatively impact tourism (and related industries) 3,059 jobs and $97.4 million of income (the magnitude
and waterfront property values.
of impact would be twice as large with a 10% scenario).
- The scale of industrial wind turbines (up to 400 feet above
- The impacts may be considered greater in areas of
the ocean's surface) and the curvature of the earth make them relatively prinstine waters and horizons such as Island
visable for up to 23 nautical miles away on a clear day.
Beach State Park and Cape May.
- Turbines that are visable from the shore will eliminate one of
New Jersey's last natural, unimpaired viewscapes and open
the coastline to a new industrial use.
1
Capacity (proposed facility size) based on Appendix D of the Interim Report to develop quantifiable environmental benefits
2
Gorban et al. (2001) Limits of the Turbine Efficiency for Free Fluids Flow. Journal of Energy Resources Technology, 123:311-323
Unaddressed Issues in brief (more fully addressed in our comments on the Interim Report)
- Estimated cost to build and maintain wind turbines off the NJ coast
- Ability of Wind Turbines to withstand the turbulent environment of the Atlantic Ocean including hurricanes and Nor'eastern storm events
- Number of square miles of offshore NJ with the 18 mph or greater wind speeds necessary to support commercial-scale energy production
Prepared by Clean Ocean Action
January 2006
Resource
Potential Benefits
Potential Costs/Impacts
Caveats - from Interim Report
- Cost/benefits of offshore wind in comparison to other clean energy options
Prepared by Clean Ocean Action
January 2006