In the wake of an editorial appearing in the New Jersey Law Journal addressing the proposed debilitating amendments to the Open Public Records Act, my recent encounters with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities shed further light on the urgent need for not just preserving but strengthening this pivotal transparency legislation.

As a staunch advocate for safeguarding New Jersey’s natural and economic resources, I have dedicated countless nights and weekends trying to prevent the impending industrialization of New Jersey’s entire coastline with hundreds of giant wind turbines three times the height of the Statue of Liberty. (See generally “New Jersey Offshore Wind Strategic Plan: Navigating Our Future,” prepared for the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities and the Interagency Taskforce on Offshore Wind, available here). These turbines, poised to be installed closer to the shore than any project worldwide, portend grave consequences for marine life, the fishing industry, and the broader New Jersey economy. The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management acknowledges the placement of turbines close to shore will “unavoidably” lead to the risk of death of marine mammals as well as significant harm to the state’s natural resources, fishing industry and economy. (See BOEM Draft Environmental Impact Statement 4.1 here.) Alarmingly, the NJBPU has also admitted the absence of scientific evidence supporting the giant turbines’ viability in the face of the Northeast’s harsh weather conditions, contravening the principles annunciated by the bipartisan blue-ribbon panel appointed to ensure the integrity of our natural resources and economy. (See NJBPU Order, Docket No. QO24010008 (Feb. 14, 2024) here.)