Company says Ocean City has rebuffed its attempts, putting project timeline in jeopardy
Madeline Urbish, who works for Ørsted as head of government affairs and policy for New Jersey, testified the company asked the state Board of Public Utilities for permission to run transmission lines across Ocean City because the local government has rebuffed repeated attempts to work with the Danish wind power company on the matter.
Her testimony is that Ocean Wind 1, a joint venture project between Ørsted and PSEG, reached out on numerous occasions, had multiple meetings with members of the Ocean City administration and City Council, held other meetings for the public, but made no headway since first formally requesting an ordinance two years ago to allow it to use rights of way in the city for transmission lines between the Ocean Wind 1 turbine farm 15 miles off the coast to connect to the power grid at the former B.L. England generating plant in Beesleys Point, Upper Township.
What follows is a timeline, mostly from her testimony before the state Board of Public Utilities, from early meetings with Ocean City through the company’s request to the BPU for approval to run its lines through Ocean City.
– Aug. 27, 2019: The company started reaching out with an open house in Ocean City about its plans for the wind frame off the coast and followed that with having its technical, real estate and permitting teams meet with city officials the following November, outlining the project’s needs for easements or rights of way for the transmission lines.
– Feb. 8, 2020: Ocean City hosts another open house for the public.
– Feb. 26, 2020: Ocean City operations and engineering staff introduces the Ocean Wind team to the city solicitor. Ocean Wind expected a standard easement form, but it never occurred.
– July 13, 2020: Ocean Wind has a virtual meeting with Ocean City officials to discuss project details with a plan to get an easement ordinance before City Council.
– Aug. 7, 2020: Counsel for Ocean Wind corresponds with Ocean City solicitor Dorothy McCrosson regarding a draft ordinance.
– Aug. 25, 2020: McCrosson responds the city was not ready to bring the matter to council.
– Sept. 16, 2020: McCrosson tells Ocean Wind an ordinance would not be on the Sept. 24 agenda, but would be on the following agenda.
– Oct. 8, 2020: Ordinance not discussed at the City Council meeting, but would be on the Oct. 22 meeting agenda. It was not introduced at the meeting.
– Oct. 20, 21, 24, 2020: Ocean Wind has three virtual open houses about the project.
– Nov. 17, 2020: Ocean Wind learns City Council would not consider the ordinance.
– Dec. 3, 2020: Ocean Wind provides update on its project during a virtual meeting and explains need for an ordinance to allow for the transmission lines. Afterward, members of Ocean City Council, primarily by then-First Ward Councilman Michael DeVlieger, vocally opposed the Ocean Wind project, criticizing it as risky for the community, adding, “And if we have to fight it at every level, I want to fight it.”
– Jan. 26, 2021: Ocean Wind officials meet with Mayor Jay Gillian and staff and follow it with meetings with DeVlieger, Council President Bobby Barr and then additional council members two at a time.
– September 2021: Ocean Wind says it communicates from February through September with city council member on what it needs from the city. During April, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management conducts three virtual scoping hearings for the public about plans for the construction and operation of the project.
– May, June, July 2021: Ocean Wind contacts the city, meets with mayor, administration and council members.
– June 24, 2021: The state Senate and Assembly approve legislation that takes away “home rule” from communities on decisions allowing use of rights of way for projects such as wind farms. The legislation, later signed by Gov. Phil Murphy, gives the state Board of Public Utilities the authority to decide on those rights of way.
– June 24, 2021: Because of the speed of the bill that was rushed through the state Legislature, Ocean City Council was unable to get a resolution on its agenda to oppose it. At that evening’s council meeting, most members of council blast the legislation as taking away the city’s rights. “Doesn’t mean all our tools are out of the toolbox,” Council President Barr says. “We’re working with parties – don’t want to say more about this – to try to do some things to slow this down to at least give us tools to see environmental impact studies. Don’t know what will happen.” Members of council vote 7-0 opposing the legislation after the fact.
– June 30, 2021: Ørsted announces it was selected for a second wind farm, Ocean Wind 2, that will double the capacity of Ocean Wind 1.
– Aug. 11, 2021: Ocean Wind formally requests land right approvals and consents including easements and Green Acres application involving land needed for the project. The city does not formally respond to the request.
– Oct. 12, 2021: The city tells Ocean Wind it won’t go forward with a Green Acres hearing until after a Nov. 6 open house for the public to ask questions about the project.
– Nov. 1, 2021: Ocean Wind sends another letter to the city solicitor about the timing for the Green Acres hearing, asking for the hearing to be held by Dec. 17, 2021.
– Nov. 6, 2021: A few hundred people along with administration and council members attend a three-and-a-half-hour public question and answer session with more than a dozen Ørsted and Ocean Wind officials.
– Dec. 2 and 15: Ocean Wind again contacts the city solicitor to schedule the Green Acres hearing.
– Dec. 22, 2021: Ocean Wind submits formal offer of $202,000, which it says is 10 times more than the appraised value, to purchase less than an acre of property (8.38 acres) in beach lots at the end of 34th Street, and north of the Roosevelt Boulevard (34th Street) bridge.
– Dec. 23, 2021: The solicitor responds the city is not ready to begin the Green Acres process.
– Feb. 2, 2022: Ocean Wind petitions the state Board of Public Utilities (BPU) for the necessary easements for its transmission lines across Green Acres-restricted properties in Ocean City.
– March 7, 2021: Virtual public hearing is scheduled at 7 p.m. for public comment on its plans of a proposed diversion of the 0.838 acres of land needed for the Green Acres diversion.
By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
