By 2020, the state wants a fifth of all the energy we consume in New Jersey to come from renewable sources. That's why the Board of Public Utilities has awarded $4-million in startup money to a group called Garden State Offshore Energy to build a wind farm off the Jersey coast. PSEG is a partner in the group.
"Wind represents a great potential in order to help meet the needs of the energy consumers in New Jersey as we go forward and do it in the most environmentally friendly way," Bill Wash of PSEG.
Under PSEG's proposal, which beat out four others, the wind farm would include 96 turbines built 16 to 20 miles off shore due east of Avalon.
The turbines would be constructed on land and barged out to be installed. Once running the turbines would capture wind power and send it through underwater cables to connect to the onshore powergrid, generating 350 megawatts, enough to power 125,000 homes.
PSEG says building so far off the coast should ease concerns about ruining the view of the ocean from the shore. People Action News asked say they support this kind of renewable energy.
"I think they're wonderful. I think they're very good source of energy. I also like them cause they're putting people to work," Frank Costello of Langhorne, Pa. said.
PSEG says the wind farm should be producing energy by 2012 and be fully operational the year after that.
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