(NewsNation) — Most people in New Jersey support the development of offshore wind energy, but that level of support has fallen as residents express concerns over whale beaching and impacts of onshore tourism.
A study out of Monmouth University found 54% of New Jersey residents favor placing wind farms off the state’s coast, compared to 40% of people who opposed the idea.
About 76% supported offshore wind farms in 2019. Approval was higher still between 2008 and 2011, ranging between 80% and 84% according to the university.
While support among Democrats has remained somewhat stable since 2019, Republican backing has fallen from 69% to 28% in the past four years. Independent support similarly fell from 77% to 52%, the university found.
“There was a time when wind energy was not really a political issue. It consistently received widespread bipartisan support for more than a decade. That is no longer the case,” Director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute Patrick Murray said in an official statement.
New Jersey residents who oppose offshore wind farms pointed to potential harm to shore tourism and whales washing up on New Jersey beaches.
There are no known links between recent large whale mortalities and ongoing offshore wind surveys, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.