New Jersey

Fossil fuel interests are working with climate denial think tanks and community groups to obstruct offshore wind projects. These community groups have made national headlines for their opposition to projects in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. They appear to be new organizations that operate organically and independently, but they often share legal support, personnel, talking points, and financial resources with major organizations that have been blocking climate policy for the last several decades. This resource shows how think tanks in the anti-offshore wind movement have received donations from six fossil fuel-interested donors between 2017 and 2021. Of these donations, $16,278,401 has gone to members of a grassroots-appearing coalition at the center of the movement. As public relations and obstruction specialists actively engage local groups to block offshore wind projects, the climate and environmental justice consequences are dire.

Local residents can feel dismayed at energy developers. A significant majority of residents in three communities – in New Jersey, Louisiana, and the Navajo Nation – felt developers had not fulfilled promises on previous projects, and that community engagement had been insufficient. The concept of a Community Benefits Plan was positively received – but not universally – in the three communities. Support grew for a CBP following the survey, but skepticism remained. Small business owners and environmental groups were consensus favorites within communities of entities that should participate in a CBP process. There is no consensus on the most important benefits for any community, but actions to improve environmental quality and reduce pollution ranked higher, along with affordable housing requirements and funding for mental health and substance abuse services. Addressing measures of environmental quality was perceived as more important than community-related clean energy expansion.

This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls - including new polling on voters’ relative trust in the two parties to handle climate change and the environment, as well as new polling and consumer data about electric vehicles.

 

HEADLINES