Reel Therapy Fly & Light Tackle Fishing charters

  By Capt. Paul Eidman Marine Conservation Advocate New Jersey’s energy debate has drifted far off course. What began as a necessary conversation about how to power our state sustainably has been hijacked by political talking points. Some critics now claim that offshore wind and Governor Murphy’s Energy Master Plan are to blame for high utility bills and marine degradation. That’s simply not true — and it distracts from the real culprits driving costs and straining our environment. Let’s start with the facts. Offshore wind has not yet delivered a single kilowatt-hour to the grid, so it cannot be responsible for current rate hikes. The real price pressure comes from the regional grid operator, PJM , whose auction system rewards aging fossil fuel plants for “capacity” instead of promoting clean, in-state generation. Add to that the explosion of energy-hungry data centers , which consume massive amounts of electricity, and you have a system where corporate demand — not clean energy...

  NJBPU announced this week that all offshore wind developers building projects for New Jersey must invest directly in fisheries research as a condition of their power contracts. The state is inviting bids for up to 2,400 MW of offshore wind power and if all are awarded it will generate $24 million in research funding which could be directed toward efforts to study recreational gamefish, related habitat, and other subjects vital to the health of New Jersey's recreational fishing economy. Jersey Coast Anglers Association (JCAA) has been striving for a decision like this since we got behind increased usage of renewable energy and the related potential of improving our fishery and waters by burning less fossil fuels. New York State finalized a similar requirement for its next round (2,500 MW) of contracts earlier this summer, so together this creates nearly $50 M of new resources for critical fisheries and wildlife research needed to advance our understanding of potential offshore win...

The topic of offshore wind development in New Jersey waters has created three main groups of people: Those all for clean, responsible, and affordable renewable energy growth, those against it for any and all reasons, and the silent majority who are waiting to see regardless of the outcome, and pretty much fine with either as long as their bills don’t rise too much.  I'd like to focus here on those who are against offshore wind development. Recently, there have been some fearful concerns being raised regarding the electromagnetic fields (EMF) produced by the submarine power transmission cables.  Specifically, there is a misleading claim that the EMF of a submarine power cable will create an electromagnetic barrier that fish, namely Summer flounder (Fluke) will not cross.  The contention is that this would affect their annual migration inshore from offshore wintering areas and ultimately lead to the collapse of an important fishery, which is clearly a bad thi...