Wind Farms - Another Perspective

[Gerry Zagorski]

Here is the Recreational Fishing Alliance's take on the pending Wind Farms off our coast...Talk about a high inside fast ball, Donofrio does not mince words !!

Opinions anyone??

February 7, 2019
Dear Mr. President,

I am respectfully asking you to please immediately halt all work on proposed industrial wind farms along the Atlantic East Coast. The companies that own these projects are foreign and they have no regard for American commercial and recreational fishermen who have been on these grounds earning a living for decades. Our jobs must come first. These industrial wind farms are an environmental scam of epic proportion. Remember Solyndra?

Mr. President, I was shocked to see BOEM (Bureau of Offshore Energy Management) give these scoundrels the green light for this project. However, I do understand there are many left over Obama people in the Department of the Interior. They clearly are not on our side.

Everywhere these industrial wind farms have been in place, the electric consumer rates have increased dramatically. The only ones who benefit from these projects are the owners, investors, and for the short term, the contracting crews who install and construct them. The entire commercial fishing industry and most of the recreational fishing industry are strongly opposed to these projects.

The USCG (United States Coast Guard) has gone on the record stating that these industrial wind farms may interfere with vessel radar in restricted visibility conditions. The USMC (United States Marine Corps) has concerns also and has gone on the record stating that these huge structures will interfere with their training missions on the East Coast.

Mr. President, the people that support these projects will never support you and your policies and have been handed a softball by BOEM. This is showroom environmentalism at its best.

Mr. President, we need you to intercede on behalf of the American commercial and sport fishing community.

Most respectfully,


Jim Donofrio
RFA

[Hookmanski]

Very interesting. I agree if these go in, an American company would be better to work with. I'm also interested in his claim about increased electricity rates with industrial wind farms. How much did the bill go up?

Either way, as a planet we desperately need to make a change to the way we get our energy. I'm sure people will disagree, but emissions are killing the planet and if we don't do something, in 100 years we'll be dealing with much bigger problems. Yes, the climate is changing. We need to stop ignoring it. I would love to see renewable energy be adopted more and more as the years go by.

Just an opinion from a millennial.

[bulletbob]

Can't comment on the price of electricity going up or down because of the turbines, he could be right there, but sorry, he's wrong on a lot of what he has stated.

Its been proven time and time again for hundreds of years that large structures in the ocean become massive biological oasis , and provide a lot of great fishing.. The commercials might not like them because they can't drag through the towers, but they'll get as close as they can I imagine ...Those things will have a ton of life in the entire water column around them- in perpetuity ,after the first year or two.. they'll take a ton of pressure off other fish holding areas as well...bob

[reason162]

...
Mr. President, I was shocked to see BOEM (Bureau of Offshore Energy Management) give these scoundrels the green light for this project. However, I do understand there are many left over Obama people in the Department of the Interior. They clearly are not on our side.Most respectfully,
...
Jim Donofrio
RFA

So, with that kind of politically charged language...people complain that rec anglers aren't united behind groups like RFA?

That's an aside from the fact that Jim is practically wrong on every assumption he makes re offshore windfarms.

[Capt. Debbie]

I Agree he's panic mongering.

1- The largest hi power electrical utility equipment companies are almost all foreign- Siemans / Asea brown Bavari. And the utility companies are clearly not dead.
2- Europe has had more wind farms than anyone and way more experience to run it. So wouldn't it be a good idea to involve someone who has done it before?
3- Higher power costs are from replacement of baseline sources or hour-to hour overages on higher cost power no one buys except when running short. PSE&G ( my former employer of 21 years) can barely justify the nukes on weekends with the cheap cost of natural gas. And on weekends we are importing everything from cheaper out of state facilities, Notice the new double conductor 345kv lines statewide for interstate transmission? We are now wheeling power to LI with a new submarine hi voltage line you probably never knew existed.
I think they will take a bit of maintenance but so does every other source included STATE MANDATED photo voltaic cells attached to nearly every telephone pole in NJ.
4- Commercial shipping has defined sea lanes (HA, NA, BA) from lower NY harbor. I doubt these windmills are going to be put in sea lanes or the separation zone. That's just ridiculous.
5- The US marine Corp statement beats the hell out of me. Never heard or saw anything USMC in the last 50 years of boating around here.

And as pointed out above and we already know . There are tremendously large areas offshore with no structure fish holding sea beds- ergo no fish staying there. Flat empty lands of shallower (deeper water costs more to build) sandy bottom. Does the writer think the windmills will be situated on some known fishing grounds or the 98% of the offshore area holding NOTHING? Get real. It's like sinking railroad cars and scuttling ships for a reef program. Those clutter the barren bottom for what purpose?

Additionally the writer's is not-in-my-backyard stance for spoiled fishing and navigation is contradicted and proved WRONG where it already has taken place.

A few thoughts...



Can't comment on the price of electricity going up or down because of the turbines, he could be right there, but sorry, he's wrong on a lot of what he has stated.

Its been proven time and time again for hundreds of years that large structures in the ocean become massive biological oasis , and provide a lot of great fishing.. The commercials might not like them because they can't drag through the towers, but they'll get as close as they can I imagine ...Those things will have a ton of life in the entire water column around them- in perpetuity ,after the first year or two.. they'll take a ton of pressure off other fish holding areas as well...bob

[AndyS]

Are the ones already built in Atlantic City hurting the Marines ??

[hammer4reel]

I Agree he's panic mongering.

1- The largest hi power electrical utility equipment companies are almost all foreign- Siemans / Asea brown Bavari. And the utility companies are clearly not dead.
2- Europe has had more wind farms than anyone and way more experience to run it. So wouldn't it be a good idea to involve someone who has done it before?
3- Higher power costs are from replacement of baseline sources or hour-to hour overages on higher cost power no one buys except when running short. PSE&G ( my former employer of 21 years) can barely justify the nukes on weekends with the cheap cost of natural gas. And on weekends we are importing everything from cheaper out of state facilities, Notice the new double conductor 345kv lines statewide for interstate transmission? We are now wheeling power to LI with a new submarine hi voltage line you probably never knew existed.
I think they will take a bit of maintenance but so does every other source included STATE MANDATED photo voltaic cells attached to nearly every telephone pole in NJ.
4- Commercial shipping has defined sea lanes (HA, NA, BA) from lower NY harbor. I doubt these windmills are going to be put in sea lanes or the separation zone. That's just ridiculous.
5- The US marine Corp statement would beats the hell out of me. Never heard or saw anything USMC in the last 50 years of boating around here

And as pointed out above and we already know . There are tremendously large areas offshore with no structure fish holding sea beds- ergo no fish staying there. Flat empty lands of sandy bottom. Does the writer think the windmills will be situated on some known fishing grounds or the 98% of the offshore area holding NOTHING? Get real. It's like sinking railroad cars and scuttling ships for a reef program. Those clutter the barren bottom for what purpose?

Additionally the writer's is not-in-my-backyard stance for spoiled fishing and navigation is contradicted and proved WRONG where it already has taken place.

A few thoughts...
Here is a thought . Take the same amount of time it took to write your post to research the amount of realestate they want to claim for the wind farms .
Much of it isn’t barren sand .

Just the testing involved for building these farms has been proven to alter fish movement and life in the areas .

.

[dakota560]

My basic problem with the entire initiative is like everything else government has their hands involved in, there's always a different agenda than what's presented and what's presented is only spun positively that it's going to benefit us all. Just like everyone is going to find out soon when you prepare your '18 1040's this year and realize the supposed tax benefit on middle class families was over estimated, the new with-holding tables published early last year as a result were understated (less money withheld than should have been) and many middle class families expecting refunds are going to end up owing taxes on their returns. That's government in a nut shell and that's the level of skepticism with which we should review this wind farm project.

I agree we need to do something about use of fossil fuels and green house effect. I don't understand, which is touched on in Jim's letter, why we would have a foreign concern own and therefore control alternate energy sources. That's counter-intuitive to everything said in the last decade, be less dependent on foreign energy. While I realize the structure would be in US waters, why have it owned by foreign interests if it's such an important initiative. Subcontract out the work but own and control the project. I mentioned earlier, devil is in the details. What never seems to get those details. The issues Jim brings up should be addressed and the public should have complete transparency of the project, increased cost of electricity, testing protocols timing and otherwise, location, access rights to the areas developed, potential environmental hazards, potential environmental benefits etc. before the project is approved or testing commences.

These decisions are made in a vacuum without insight by the public so it's impossible to provide an opinion with limited information. I think the tone of Jim's letter and the questions asked are perfectly legitimate and valid. If there's concern about his points, they should be addressed, not questioned without research and a sense of understanding. It's easy to be critical of someone's point of view but it's foolish to question it without facts to back it up and it's impossible to opine without knowledge of the details.

That said, I applaud Jim Donofrio for having the balls to take a position and not just go along for the ride with government in which case we almost always get the short end of the stick.

[Billfish715]

Take a look at them. The fishing around them is fantastic.

[NoLimit]

For all the tax money wasted on this global warming BS, it would be a lot cheaper to tow old wrecks out there and make a reef that will provide a lot more bottom structure than windmill legs

[TomKat]

Will we have access to fish near them?Also my 2018 tax refund was higher.

[Capt. Debbie]

Good point ... I think? LOL


Bridges, marinas, buoys and docks all ruin the natural beauty of the landscape too. Tear them down? Just emotional reactions.

Likely it'll be outside NJ at least 3 mile off shore. You'll probably have to go look for it to complain about it. Bring a rod just in case. :)


Here is a thought . Take the same amount of time it took to write your post to research the amount of realestate they want to claim for the wind farms .
Much of it isn’t barren sand .

Just the testing involved for building these farms has been proven to alter fish movement and life in the areas .

.

[Ry609]

I don't have any background on the issue, but is the difference that much greater between a wind turbine and an offshore oil rig like in the Gulf of Mexico? If people would be able to fish near them, would that change the outrage? Again, I'm not up on the issues, but a renewable energy source makes a lot of sense to me.

[bulletbob]

I don't have any background on the issue, but is the difference that much greater between a wind turbine and an offshore oil rig like in the Gulf of Mexico? If people would be able to fish near them, would that change the outrage? Again, I'm not up on the issues, but a renewable energy source makes a lot of sense to me.

yes, if good bottom fishing becomes commonplace and pelagic game species are regular visitors to the wind turbine platforms, it would certainly "change the outrage" for most salt water fishermen. At least thats how I see it.

hell, they'll be miles offshore , barely visible from the shoreline.. When I come to NJ these days, every tidal river, salt marsh, salt pond, bayfront , is completely obscured by restaurants, marinas, boats and docks of every size and description,stores,Condo's ,high rise apartments, multi million dollar homes, etc etc... Try finding a secluded little dock to throw a crab trap off these days...
No one seems to say much about the environmental degradation, or negative aesthetic impact of that clown show, but so many are worried about some barely visible wind turbines miles from shore?... smh ... bob

[reason162]

No one seems to say much about the environmental degradation, or negative aesthetic impact of that clown show, but so many are worried about some barely visible wind turbines miles from shore?... smh ... bob

I'll go out on a limb and say that insofar as there is a knee-jerk reaction to offshore windfarms from anglers, it's probably because windfarms = renewable energy = anathema to the political right.

The RFA letter checks every fear-mongering box: "leftover" obama people (deep state), foreign corporations (not "European," bc "foreign" could mean the Chinese or god forbid, some ME country), some BS about military opposition, and more BS about adverse impacts on fishing.

Frankly, I don't know why a group like RFA would even stake a position on offshore windfarms, and one that is so politically charged to boot. Reasonable people from all political backgrounds can debate the merits of the RFA platform when it comes to influencing fisheries regulations, but it's as if Jim Donofrio is hellbent on courting only folks who lean right...in the Northeastern states of this country nonetheless.

Smh indeed.

[porgylber]

If the fishing is anything like that found at the oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, sign me up! Last June I took a trip to Venice, Louisiana with some buddies. We went out on 2 days on charters. Day one was yellowfin tuna. Those were caught about 100 yards off oil platforms. Day 2 was red snapper, amberjack and grouper, caught right next to the platform. It was drop and reel fishing. We limited out on giant red snapper (2 per man) within 20 minutes. After a while, exhaustion won over, as we were in 1,500 feet of water.
Anybody that tells you structure is not good for fishing has another agenda. In this case, it’s pretty evident what it is.

[bulletbob]

I'll go out on a limb and say that insofar as there is a knee-jerk reaction to offshore windfarms from anglers, it's probably because windfarms = renewable energy = anathema to the political right.

The RFA letter checks every fear-mongering box: "leftover" obama people (deep state), foreign corporations (not "European," bc "foreign" could mean the Chinese or god forbid, some ME country), some BS about military opposition, and more BS about adverse impacts on fishing.

Frankly, I don't know why a group like RFA would even stake a position on offshore windfarms, and one that is so politically charged to boot. Reasonable people from all political backgrounds can debate the merits of the RFA platform when it comes to influencing fisheries regulations, but it's as if Jim Donofrio is hellbent on courting only folks who lean right...in the Northeastern states of this country nonetheless.
Smh indeed.
Well, I am as right wing as they come, and I say build the wind farms all over the place, Solar panel arrays as well ...In the water, on land, hilltops, bring them on I say... The FREE MARKET will decide if they are more efficient, more cost effective, and more aesthetically acceptable than conventional sources of electrical power generation... they should NOT be pushed because "green" .. or some other such simplistic nonsense.. If they work and are economical, they will become commonplace. bob

[paulyfish]

Will we have access to fish near them?Also my 2018 tax refund was higher.

Yes, we will have full access. Note that the Block Island Wind Farm, which has been working since 2016 is a prototype for all of the wind farms. I have fished there and really banged the Black Sea Bass and porgies last fall.
The wind developers, USCG, BOEM, NOAA have all stated that they have no intentions of restricting fishing access.
As a model to move forward with, there no restrictions at the BIWF except for zero access during construction and that you cannot tie off to them. Other than that, after commissioning, you can fish or spear dive right up to them.
The ones off NJ will have a substation that they are all connected to and we are learning that for obvious DHS reasons, that there will be a secure perimeter around this specific structure only and will not be fishable.
Hope this helps!
Paul

[paulyfish]

Not for nothing but:

It is in fact the Trump Administration who is inviting/requesting wind
developers to lease areas in the ocean and make the investment
through BOEM to help with America's energy independence, and not that
the wind developers are pushing in on their own and asking for
permission to build.

Important to note that the developers have all partnered with American companies and the NJBPU has very specific contractual requirements & agreements with the leaseholders to use New jersey based labor and other issues in the name of NJ economic development. Remember that Europe has a 25 year head start on this. In fact, Denmark is just taking down the first wind farm and replacing with even fewer turbines which are much larger, more efficient and less expensive .

In the background of all of this Offshore wind action, we still have the fact that BOEM is inviting/requesting oil and gas developers to lease areas and make the investment off our coast, and they know full well the real and
significant risks of damage to the ocean and coastal economies from
oil and gas extraction, ie. Deepwater Horizon and many other
polluting spills and problems.

Political reality here in NJ, that when it comes to new sources of energy and energy independence in Federal waters in the ocean, there is a political consensus for offshore wind and against offshore oil, where offshore wind is not considered a major threat to the economy.
Paul