Gusts of activity underway by friends and foes of offshore wind energy projects

LONG BEACH TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) — Government supporters of offshore wind energy projects in New Jersey and New York are trading blows with opponents in some shore towns who say many vacationers and local residents don't want to see turbines filling the ocean horizon.

Eight Jersey Shore beach towns wrote to state utility regulators Wednesday, saying one wind farm proposal will be vastly more expensive than projected, and it will cost tourism-driven jobs and economic activity.

Their move came on the same day that federal energy regulators approved new rules to streamline the application and approval processes for offshore wind farms, and also the day that New York Gov. Kathy Hochul issued supply chain and logistics proposals to help her state's offshore wind industry. Hochul's move came days after three New York projects were scrapped because the companies and state regulators couldn't agree on the financial terms.

Shore towns spanning much of New Jersey's 127-mile coastline wrote to the state's Board of Public Utilities, saying the proposed Atlantic Shores wind farm will be costlier than originally proposed, particularly if the developers are allowed to re-bid it.

An economic analysis sent by Long Beach Township, Beach Haven, Ship Bottom, Barnegat Light, Surf City, Harvey Cedars, Brigantine and Ventnor predicts reduced visitation to the Jersey Shore by people who don't want to see windmills on the horizon could cost Ocean County alone more than $668 million in economic losses.

“The Atlantic Shores project will devastate the economies of the shore municipalities by deterring visitors and eliminating thousands of jobs,” said James Mancini, mayor of Long Beach Township on Long Beach Island. "It is imperative that any offshore wind projects are placed far enough out to avoid these drastic impacts, which adversely affect not only the shore municipalities’ residents, visitors, and businesses, but all of New Jersey’s residents.”

The towns also said allowing the project owners to re-bid would increase additional costs to ratepayers to $10 billion, up from $3.7 billion.

Atlantic Shores did not respond to a message seeking comment Thursday.

The utilities board said “there will be a limited opportunity” for developers to seek to re-bid their projects. "We are always working to ensure the most cost-effective outcomes for New Jersey ratepayers,” it said in a statement.

The New Jersey Offshore Wind Alliance said the law firm that wrote to New Jersey regulators is “engaged in misguided litigation against offshore wind development," and that an operating wind farm off Block Island, Rhode Island, proves that offshore wind farms can coexist with tourism and recreational fisheries.

Atlantic Shores would have 157 turbines and would be located 8.7 miles from shore, among the closest projects proposed for the state's shoreline. It is a partnership between Shell New Energies US LLC, and EDF-RE Offshore Development, LLC.

It is one of three offshore wind projects currently pending in New Jersey. The state Board of Public Utilities in January chose Attentive Energy LLC and Leading Light Wind LLC to build offshore wind projects.

Also on Wednesday, U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announced that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement finalized new regulations for offshore wind projects intended to save the industry $1.9 billion over the next 20 years. It would streamline some processes, eliminate what the agencies called duplicative requirements and allow money for eventual decomissioning work to be put up incrementally instead of all at once at the start of a project.

That same day, New York's governor responded to the collapse of three offshore wind projects last week by issuing requests for proposals and information regarding supply chains and logistics for offshore wind projects. That followed the state canceling three preliminarily approved offshore wind projects after failing to reach final agreements with any of them.

New York provisionally approved the projects in October 2023. They are Attentive Energy One being developed by TotalEnergies Rise Light & Power and Corio Generation; Community Offshore Wind, and Vineyard Offshore’s Excelsior Wind.

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The ocean horizon is clear on Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Long Beach Township, N.J. Eight Jersey Shore towns, including Long Beach, are trying to convince New Jersey utility regulators that wind turbines planned for less than 9 miles off the town's coast will scare away visitors, costing the area jobs and economic development. The wind power industry rejects those claims, and says turbines can coexist with tourism and fishing. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)

The ocean horizon is clear on Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Long Beach Township, N.J. Eight Jersey Shore towns, including Long Beach, are trying to convince New Jersey utility regulators that wind turbines planned for less than 9 miles off the town's coast will scare away visitors, costing the area jobs and economic development. The wind power industry rejects those claims, and says turbines can coexist with tourism and fishing. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)

A seagull flies above the waves on Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Long Beach Township, N.J. Government supporters of offshore wind energy projects in New Jersey and New York are trading blows with opponents in some shore towns who say many vacationers and local residents don't want to see turbines filling the ocean horizon. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)

A beachgoer takes photos of the ocean horizon on Thursday, April 25, 2024 in Long Beach Township, N.J. Eight Jersey Shore towns, including Long Beach, are trying to convince New Jersey utility regulators that wind turbines planned for less than 9 miles off the town's coast will scare away visitors, costing the area jobs and economic development. The wind power industry rejects those claims, and says turbines can coexist with tourism and fishing. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)

The sun sets behind spinning land-based wind turbines in Atlantic City, N.J., on Dec. 13, 2023. On April 24, 2024, eight Jersey Shore towns wrote to New Jersey utility regulators saying that a proposed wind farm off Long Beach Island will be costlier than expected. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)

The ocean horizon is clear on Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Long Beach Township, N.J. Eight Jersey Shore towns, including Long Beach, are trying to convince New Jersey utility regulators that wind turbines planned for less than 9 miles off the town's coast will scare away visitors, costing the area jobs and economic development. The wind power industry rejects those claims, and says turbines can coexist with tourism and fishing. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)

CLEVELAND (AP) — Bo Naylor hit his first career grand slam, Austin Hedges had his first homer since June 14 and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Los Angeles Angels 7-1 on Saturday night.

Naylor’s two-out blast in the sixth inning came off Angels starter Reid Detmers (3-3), who had loaded the bases on three walks. The four RBIs were a career high for the third-year catcher.

Hedges, batting .111 on the season, hit a two-run homer in the second. Ramón Laureano added a solo shot in the fourth for the Guardians, who have the second-best record in the American League at 21-12.

Cleveland left fielder Steven Kwan, who leads the AL with a .353 batting average, left the game after the third inning because of left hamstring tightness.

Ben Lively (1-1) went six innings, giving up one run on four hits while striking out five. The right-hander ended a nine-start winless streak that included four losses since beating Kansas City while pitching for Cincinnati on June 14.

The Angels trimmed their deficit to 3-1 in the fifth on a Zach Neto single that plated Jo Adell, but Ehire Adrianza flew out with the bases loaded to end the threat. Neto and Adell each had stolen bases in the inning.

Detmers allowed season highs of seven runs and three homers in 5 2/3 innings. Catcher Logan O’Hoppe exited in the fifth with a right hand contusion.

Los Angeles has not won consecutive games — or a series — in Cleveland since 2013, losing 24 of its last 27 at Progressive Field. The Angels beat the Guardians 6-0 in the three-game series opener.

Hedges had gone 110 plate appearances since homering as a member of the Pirates. He finished last year with the World Series champion Rangers before rejoining Cleveland as a free agent.

Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor, mired in a 4-for-33 slump, was given the night off. Cleveland is in the midst of a stretch of 16 games in 16 days that ends on May 15.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Angels: 2B Luis Rengifo (illness) was held out of the lineup with a high fever after falling ill Friday. Rengifo has the fourth-highest batting average in the AL at .330 and is tied for second with nine stolen bases.

Guardians: LHP Sam Hentges (left middle finger inflammation), who has been on the injured list since March 25, has not allowed a run in 4 2/3 innings over four rehab appearances with Triple-A Columbus.

UP NEXT

Angels RHP Griffin Canning (1-3, 7.45 ERA) faces Guardians RHP Carlos Carrasco (1-2, 6.59 ERA) in the series finale Sunday.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Los Angeles Angels' Nolan Schanuel waits to catch a pop fly by Cleveland Guardians' David Fry during the third inning of a baseball game in Cleveland, Saturday, May 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Reid Detmers delivers against the Cleveland Guardians during the first inning of a baseball game in Cleveland Saturday, May 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

Los Angeles Angels' Logan O'Hoppe waits to catch a pop foul by Cleveland Guardians' Jose Ramirez during the first inning of a baseball game in Cleveland Saturday, May 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Ben Lively delivers against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning of a baseball game in Cleveland Saturday, May 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

Cleveland Guardians' David Fry, center left, congratulates Bo Naylor, right, for his grand slam with Tyler Freeman (2), and Jose Ramirez during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in Cleveland Saturday, May 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

Cleveland Guardians' Ramon Laureano, right, watches his solo home run off Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Reid Detmers as Angels catcher Logan O'Hoppe, left, looks on during the fourth inning of a baseball game in Cleveland, Saturday, May 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

Cleveland Guardians' Brayan Rocchio, center, is late with a tag as Los Angeles Angels' Zach Neto, right, steals second base and umpire Jeremie Rehak watches during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Cleveland, Saturday, May 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

Cleveland Guardians' Bo Naylor watches his grand slam against the Los Angeles Angels during the sixth inning of a baseball game in Cleveland, Saturday, May 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

Cleveland Guardians' Bo Naylor watches his grand slam off against the Los Angeles Angels during the sixth inning of a baseball game in Cleveland Saturday, May 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Phil Long)