My name is Alex Ambrose and I’m a policy analyst with New Jersey Policy Perspective. Thank you for the opportunity to speak today.
New Jersey Policy Perspective fully supports Ocean Wind 1 moving forward as quickly as is feasible and safe. We need clean energy to mitigate the worst effects of climate change, and without offshore wind, we will not be able to meet those clean energy goals. There is no doubt that climate change is one of the biggest known threats to our wildlife and our environment, and we are already seeing those effects on our oceans with sea level rise and ocean acidification. New Jersey is uniquely situated to not only be on the front line of the worst effects of sea level rise; we are also on the verge of becoming a national leader in offshore wind.
The offshore wind sector is the biggest job creator in the US’s energy economy, and is one of the best ways we have to meet our climate goals while keeping good-paying jobs in New Jersey.
There is no doubt climate change has already caused irreversible effects to New Jersey’s people and environment, and clean energy projects such as this are one of the best ways to mitigate those effects. Every day we delay these projects, we are letting the real threat to wildlife–climate change–take more than the already 3 billion birds that have disappeared and endanger more than the 1 million species of plants and animals threatened due to a rapidly changing environment.
Offshore wind sits at the intersection of protecting our shore tourism, preserving wildlife, creating local jobs, improving public health, and addressing long-standing inequities for overburdened communities. I look forward to seeing this project move forward with the environmental guardrails outlined in the proposal to ensure the net benefits are maximized for this essential clean energy resource. Thank you.
