CAPE MAY, N.J., June 4 NJ-Fishermens-Energy
CAPE MAY, N.J., June 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Fishermen's Energy of New Jersey,
LLC, (FERN) a business founded by a core group of fishermen, initiated FERN to
respond to the public need to develop the ocean for renewable energy. Wind is
a clean and constantly renewable resource, and it is FERN's goal to turn the
North Atlantic coastal waters into an unmatched resource of renewable energy
-- windpower.
Due to interest from our fellow fishermen in Rhode Island, FERN has
sponsored Fishermen's Energy of Rhode Island, LLC (FERI) to extend similar
infrastructure and benefits for the future of Rhode Island's fishing industry,
while serving the energy needs of Rhode Island's public. FERI's
fishermen-owners, whose existing facilities and industries have been mainstays
of shore communities for generations, intend with this project to transition
their businesses into new, dynamic technologies for the benefit of the local
public and business community, all while expanding local employment.
In implementing the Rhode Island Energy Independence 1 project,
Fishermen's Energy will include the participation of the Rhode Island fishing
community and will plan, build, operate, and maintain offshore wind farms to
meet Rhode Island's energy master plan and renewable energy goals. FERI has
assembled a team of participants with world-class experience in energy and
wind project development.
In response to a request for proposals from the Rhode Island Office of
Energy Resources, FERI plans to build wind farms in Rhode Island waters
capable of producing approximately 400 megawatts of electricity, which
represents 15% of Rhode Island's current energy needs. FERI proposes 80
individual wind turbine generators, situated within state waters, between two
to three miles off the southern coast of Block Island.
Historically, one of the key barriers to offshore wind farms has been
fishermen themselves, due to fear of loss of fishing grounds. By including
this constituency, Fishermen's Energy has turned this negative into an
overwhelming positive. With our combined decades of experience in the waters
of the Atlantic, and our commitment to clean, safe, and renewable energy,
Fishermen's Energy's offshore wind farms will ensure the future of Rhode
Island's fishing industry and renewable energy for generations to come.
Fishermen's Energy is a consortium of the principals of leading fishing
companies in the region, which encompasses one of the most productive fishing
grounds and seafood industries in the U.S. For more than a year, a core group
of the commercial fishing industry leadership has been rethinking our
opposition to offshore wind energy development. After reflection and
development of a new paradigm, Fishermen's Energy has chosen to treat offshore
energy as an opportunity, rather than a threat. In this spirit, FERI intends
to be a proactive agent for change and offers Rhode Island a unique ability to
harvest the sea for energy and fish, side by side, in an environmentally
acceptable manner.
Our industry husbands the renewable marine resources of the offshore
waters in a sustainable manner for the benefit of the public's consumption.
Therefore, we are the logical developers and harvesters of the renewable wind
resources from the same waters for the benefit of the public. Our goal is to
develop not the first wind farm, but to monitor and mitigate the impacts in
such a manner, post construction, that if the benefits outweigh the risks, we
will pursue the opportunity to help the northeast states to build out the
offshore wind capacity.
"The companies involved own, operate, and provide support services year
round for hundreds of fishing vessels. Collectively we have comprehensive
knowledge of seabottom conditions, marine and weather conditions, location of
fish habitat, experience with the operation of heavy equipment in extreme
coastal weather and sea conditions, and experience with marine construction
and maintenance," said Daniel Cohen, president of Fishermen's Energy and
president and principal shareholder of Atlantic Capes Fisheries.
Fishermen's Energy looks forward to working with the State of Rhode Island
in an open and collaborative process to meet the goals outlined in their
request for proposals.
Additional information can be obtained on Fishermen's Energy's website:
www.fishermensenergy.com
For more information on the proposal:
www.governor.ri.gov/documents/wind_rfp.pdf
http://www.energy.ri.gov/programs/renewable.php
SOURCE Fishermen's Energy of New Jersey, LLC
