Fisherman's Energy Plans Six-Turbine Offshore Wind Farm

NEWS & VIEWS

At Thursday's MBCA meeting at Resorts, Fisherman's Energy general counsel Paul Gallagher offered news on upcoming offshore wind farm in Atlantic City.

By Jeff Schwachter

Add Comment | Comments: 0 | Posted Jan. 14, 2010

Fisherman's Energy's Paul Gallagher at the MBCA luncheon Thursday, Jan. 21.

Photo by Jeff Schwachter

It will not only be the first of its kind in the United States, but the planned six-turbine offshore wind farm in Atlantic City, will be the first of its kind in the Western Hemisphere.

This is what Fisherman’s Energy, a community-based offshore wind developer, general counsel Paul Gallagher told a large crowd Thursday afternoon, Jan. 14, at the Metropolitan Business and Citizens Association (MBCA) Winter Kick-Off Meeting, held at Resorts in Atlantic City.

Before Mayor Lorenzo Langford gave his brief, but traditional “unofficial” state of the city address (“as the economy improves so will Atlantic City”) at the MBCA luncheon, held at Resorts for its 15th year, Gallagher took the podium to draw attention to his company’s plans for a one-of-a-kind turbine assortment, about 2.8 miles off the coast of the Steel Pier in Atlantic City, NJ, that will bring clean energy to the future of Atlantic City — about 20 megawatts of power.

Gallagher said the completion of the project could be as early as October 2011.

“We are moving properly and carefully ahead to have the project done by October 2011,” Gallagher tells AC Weekly. He adds that the proper permit procedures are currently underway with the proper authorities.

When asked why Atlantic City was right for such a groundbreaking project in the country, Gallagher says, “Atlantic City has always embraced innovation and with the ACUA’s wind farms [developed in 2006 near the Borgata] the community has a better [grasp and understands more about such endeavours.”

He also notes that, like the ACUA’s current up-and-running wind farm, the new offshore turbines could become another tourist attraction for Atlantic City.

“It could be the Sydney Opera House of A.C.,” Gallagher said.

Gallagher, from Pennsylvania, but who’s grandmother was from the inlet section of the resort town, says he is confident about the project and the location.

“A.C. is the right place to do this,” he says,

The planned six turbines will be visible from the Boardwalk and shoreline in Atlantic City.

Find out more about Fisherman’s Energy on their Web site at fishermanenergy.com. (Look for renderings and more on this story soon inside Atlantic City Weekly)