Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) joined local officials, fishermen, and residents at the Rally Against Empire Wind in Seaside Heights, where he again voiced strong opposition to offshore wind projects, calling Empire Wind “a serious national security threat” and “an environmental disaster in the making.”

Smith underscored what he described as threats to sea life, New Jersey’s commercial and recreational fishing industries, tourism, and taxpayer dollars.

“I am unalterably opposed to ocean wind power including Empire Wind—which is heavily reliant on government handouts including between a $1.3 billion to $3 billion (ITC) created and authorized by President Biden in his so-called Inflation Control Act,” Smith said. “This is one of the worst taxpayer rip-offs ever. We ask President Trump to stop it.”

Smith said he recently spoke with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who told him that the Department of the Interior has launched “a full review of offshore wind energy regulations to ensure alignment with President Donald J. Trump’s energy priorities.”

In a press release, Burgum stated, “The Department is fully committed to making sure that offshore energy development reflects President Trump’s America First Energy Dominance agenda and the real-world demands of today’s global energy landscape. We’re taking a results-driven approach that prioritizes reliability, strengthens national security, and upholds both scientific integrity and responsible environmental stewardship.”

Smith argued that Empire Wind, a project of the Norwegian state-owned company Equinor, violates federal law. “As in the case of Empire Wind, a project of Equinor, a company owned by the government of Norway which means that it violates the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) by awarding U.S. offshore territory to a company controlled by a foreign government,” he said.

Citing studies on storm damage, Smith also warned of the vulnerability of offshore wind turbines to hurricanes. “Today as Hurricane Erin is being carefully tracked as a potential threat for the East Coast, the extreme vulnerability of offshore windmills—each as tall as the Chrysler Building with each blade as long as a football field—has been recklessly trivialized and dismissed by the wind power industry and its supporters,” Smith said.

He referenced a 2012 Carnegie Mellon University study that found, “There is very substantial risk that Category 3 and higher hurricanes can destroy half or more of the turbines at some locations,” and a 2020 European Academy of Wind Energy article that concluded, “On the whole, these studies have shown that hurricane winds can indeed pose important risks to offshore wind turbines.”

Smith questioned who would be responsible for damages caused by failures, noting last year’s incident off Nantucket where a 350-foot turbine blade fell into the water. “Who cleans up Empire Wind’s mess when the turbines crash into the water? The government of Norway? Don’t hold your breath,” he said.

He also raised concerns over the limited lifespan of turbines. “Who’s going to be on the hook to pay for these monstrosities when they are ‘decommissioned’ and no longer able to be used after just 15–20 years or according to updated estimates 13–14 years after going online? You and I—the taxpayer and ratepayer, that’s who,” Smith said.

The congressman pointed to radar interference as another danger. “The fact of the matter is that ocean wind poses a significant security and safety threat to vessel navigation—including fishing boats, U.S. Navy ships, merchant ships and search and rescue operations by the Coast Guard—as well as military and civilian aviation… all due to radar interference,” he said, citing a 2022 National Academy of Sciences report that found wind turbines “can cause significant interference and shadowing that suppress the detection of small contacts.”

Smith concluded with a call to action:

“Empire Wind poses unacceptable risks.

Empire Wind threatens life and livelihoods at the Jersey Shore.

Empire Wind is dangerous and flawed.

Empire Wind must be stopped.

Let’s all do all we can to stop Empire Wind.”

This article was published on August 16, 2025 and can be found online at: https://thelakewoodscoop.com/news/smith-renews-opposition-to-empire-wind-citing-national-security-environmental-and-economic-risks/