Porti & ambiente — le notizie raccolte

Una nube grigia ha coperto lo skyline di Manhattan, trasformando il cielo di New York in uno scenario insolito e preoccupante. Il fumo proveniente dai vasti incendi boschivi che stanno devastando aree remote della provincia canadese dell’Ontario ha attraversato il confine raggiungendo diversi Stati americani, con un forte peggioramento della qualità dell’aria. Le autorità hanno lanciato l’allarme: con temperature previste fino a 32 gradi, l’aria nell’area metropolitana di New York potrebbe raggiungere livelli considerati pericolosi per la salute, invitando i cittadini a limitare il più possibile le attività all’aperto e a rimanere negli ambienti chiusi. «La situazione è molto grave. Stiamo raggiungendo livelli di qualità dell’aria pericolosi per ogni newyorkese», ha dichiarato il sindaco di New York Zohran Mamdani, collegando l’emergenza agli effetti della crisi climatica. «Sono preoccupato perché sta aumentando i rischi che la nostra città deve affrontare». Dal Canada agli Stati Uniti: una lunga scia di fumo Il fumo degli incendi dell’Ontario ha raggiunto un’ampia fascia del Nord America, coinvolgendo Stati come Minnesota, Michigan, New York e Pennsylvania. Le autorità del Michigan hanno previsto che le condizioni di forte inquinamento potrebbero proseguire almeno fino a venerdì. Anche Toronto, città canadese situata vicino al confine con gli Stati Uniti, si trova ancora una volta a fare i conti con gli effetti degli incendi. Per molti residenti è diventata una situazione sempre più frequente durante i mesi estivi. «Succede troppo spesso. Ogni estate subiamo le conseguenze di problemi ambientali, siano essi causati dal fumo o dagli incendi», ha raccontato un cittadino. Mascherine anche a Chicago: “Come fumare tutto il giorno” A centinaia di chilometri di distanza, l’emergenza ha raggiunto anche Chicago, dove alcuni residenti sono tornati a utilizzare mascherine protettive per difendersi dall’aria irrespirabile. «È come fumare sigarette tutto il giorno senza mai comprarne un pacchetto. Francamente, è una follia», ha raccontato un giovane residente. Gli esperti ricordano che il particolato fine prodotto dagli incendi può essere particolarmente dannoso soprattutto per bambini, anziani e persone con problemi respiratori o cardiovascolari. Timori anche per la finale dei Mondiali L’emergenza ambientale rischia di avere ripercussioni anche sul grande appuntamento sportivo previsto domenica 19 luglio nei pressi di New York: la finale dei Mondiali di calcio al MetLife Stadium. Gli organizzatori e gli appassionati guardano con attenzione alle previsioni meteo, affidandosi alla pioggia attesa per sabato nella speranza che possa contribuire a ripulire l’aria e migliorare le condizioni nella zona dello stadio.

Vehicles disembark from the Bridgeport-Port Jefferson Ferry in Bridgeport during a hazy afternoon caused by Canadian wildfires on July 15, 2026. Haze from wildfires obscures the New Haven skyline from West Rock State Park Wednesday, July 15, 2026. Haze from wildfires obscures the view of Sleeping Giant from West Rock State Park in New Haven Wednesday, July 15, 2026. Vehicles disembark from the Bridgeport-Port Jefferson Ferry in Bridgeport during a hazy afternoon caused by Canadian wildfires on July 15, 2026. Passengers wait for train at the Bridgeport Station during a hazy afternoon caused by Canadian wildfires on July 15, 2026. Downtown Ambassador Carlos Alexes cleans up trash at Waterfront Park in Bridgeport during a hazy afternoon caused by Canadian wildfires on July 15, 2026. Hazy view of Bridgeport Harbor and the I-95 bridge from Waterfront Park in Bridgeport on July 15, 2026. Haze from wildfires obscures the New Haven skyline from West Rock State Park Wednesday, July 15, 2026. Haze from wildfires obscures the New Haven skyline from West Rock State Park Wednesday, July 15, 2026. Read more: Connecticut health officials urge caution as wildfire smoke will make air quality poor Thursday Wildfire smoke has engulfed Connecticut's skiesWednesday, prompting a declining air quality forecast. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The air quality index has been upgraded to unhealthy for sensitive groups across Connecticut on Wednesday, according to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. To the west of Connecticut, parts of New York state are expected to see air quality that is unhealthy, according to DEEP. The agency said air quality in Fairfield, New Haven and Litchfield counties on Thursday is expected to be unhealthy for sensitive groups to unhealthy. “The wildfire smoke impacting Connecticut today and tomorrow will produce unhealthy air quality and in combination with higher temperatures is expected to present significant risk to our most vulnerable residents,” DEEP Acting Commissioner Emma Cimino said. “We urge everyone to use caution over the next several days as you plan your outdoor activities.” The air quality index is a color-coded scale officials use to measure the air quality. Air that is unhealthy for sensitive groups — such as people with asthma — can experience health effects, though the general public is less likely to be impacted. Advertisement Article continues below this ad For Wednesday, DEEP predicts the air quality index could reach 136 in some cities and towns along the coast — Bridgeport, Greenwich, Stratford and Westport. The number is up from an AQI of 93 predicted for those same communities earlier in the day. On Wednesday morning, a gray-white haze could be seen over the New Haven skyline from the top of West Rock State Park. A few cyclists and runners milled at a parking lot at the top of the rocky ridgeline, or ran or walked in the stifling humidity. The breeze carried a faint scent of smoke. Read more: See a map of air quality in Connecticut. Satellite images around 10 a.m. showed a thick layer of smoke drifting southward from the Hartford area. The declining air quality is driven by particle pollution, the type of air pollution produced by wildfire smoke. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The smoky sky began to take onan orange-colored hue in several townsacross the state by the early afternoon. The smoke is filtering and scattering the sunlight, allowing more of the warmer red and orange wavelengths to reach our eyes. The smog is wildfire smoke that has drifted over the region from fires burning in Canada. While that will instantly trigger memories of thesummer of 2023, whenheavy concentrations of smokemadethe air qualityplunge in the northeast, the smoke forecast for Wednesday is expected to be less dramatic. There are 835 active fires in Canada, according to the country'sWildland Fire Information System. Other firesare burning in northern Minnesotaas well as in the western United States, Florida and North Carolina. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Ozone, a separate type of air pollution that's created when pollutants from cars and other source interact with sunlight, is expected to be lower on Wednesday. Concentrations of the gas, which is made up of three oxygen atoms, will be good to moderate on Wednesday. Ozone levels were elevated on Tuesday, particularly for coastal Connecticut. The air pollution from wildfire smoke,known as PM2.5, contains ultrafine particles. The name refers to particulate matter that is 2.5 micrometers or smaller. Those particles can cause avariety of lung and heart issues, including respiratory symptoms and premature death for people with heart or lung conditions. Besides wildfires, particulate pollution can also form from other sources like unpaved roads, construction and smoke stacks. Wednesday is otherwiseexpected to be hot and humidas a spell of hot weather peaks in Connecticut. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible in the afternoon and evening. The weather service's New York office said the smoke could cause visibility to be reduced late Wednesday. But the smoke may also affect the heat and potential for storms. Surface heating may be "muted," the office said, while a "a more stable environment could help stave off convection." Advertisement Article continues below this ad Thursday is also expected to see smoky skies as temperatures reach into the mid to high 80s, according to the National Weather Service. DEEP said winds shift in the morning from the northwest to the west inland will allow for additional wildfire smoke to reach the state. DEEP said people who are in a sensitive group, which includes young children, the elderly or anyone who has pre-existing health concerns such as asthma, heart or lung problems, should shorten and reduce the intensity of outdoor activities, and watch for symptoms such as coughing and shortness of breath. Officials recommended that everyone else limit time outdoors, especially in the afternoon and evening, move workouts and activities indoors or reschedule, and take frequent breaks if outside. The agency said people should stop activity and go indoors if the experience coughing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, or eye or throat irritation. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Additionally, DEEP said residents should keep windows and doors closed, run air conditioning on recirculate, use an air purifier if available and avoid adding indoor pollution, including burning candles, smoking and vacuuming without filters. “We know Connecticut residents want to enjoy the outdoors in the summer. This week's air quality conditions are a temporary but important reminder to plan around them, especially for sensitive groups,” state Department of Public Health Commissioner Manisha Juthani said.

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — Gov. Hochul is warning about a dangerous situation in the Hudson Valley. "Smoke and haze from Canadian wildfires are creating unhealthy air conditions across New York today," Hochul said. "I encourage New Yorkers, especially those with health conditions, to exercise caution and stay air quality aware." The governor urged those in affected areas, including the Hudson Valley, to visit the AirNowwebsitefor the very latest conditions. The Westchester County Health Department is urging residents to take extra precautions as the combo of extreme heat, high humidity, and smoke from Canadian wildfires creates unhealthy air quality for sensitive groups. The smoke is expected to move across New York throughout the day and may be visible in the sky in much of the region. "Please take this heat seriously," Westchester County Health Commissioner Sherlita Amler said. "When it is this hot and humid, drink plenty of water, avoid alcohol, and take frequent breaks from outdoor work if it cannot be rescheduled. Take time to cool off and spend time in air-conditioned places. Infants, those with asthma, pregnant women, older adults and those with heart disease or other respiratory or heart conditions should spend less time outdoors until the air quality improves and the temperature cools. Be mindful of possible health effects such as coughing or shortness of breath." The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has issued an Air Quality Advisory through midnight Wednesday, after rating the air quality in the Lower Hudson Valley and New York metro area as unhealthy for sensitive groups. This rating is the fourth most concerning. This poor air quality is predicted by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to exceed an Air Quality Index of 100. At this level, the general public is less likely to be affected than those in sensitive groups. Sensitive groups include children, teenagers, those age 65 or older, pregnant people, those with respiratory conditions or heart disease, asthma, those who exercise or work outdoors, and those in disadvantaged communities. Meanwhile, the National Weather Service has extended a Heat Advisory for Westchester County through 9 p.m. on Wednesday. During this period, heat and humidity will make outdoor temperatures feel uncomfortable, but relief is expected Thursday into Friday. With heat, humidity and air quality in mind, the Westchester County Health Department is cautioning residents to drink lots of water, avoid over-exertion and to check on vulnerable family, friends and neighbors. NYSDEC issues Air Quality Health Advisories when NYSDEC meteorologists predict levels of pollution, either ozone or fine particulate matter, are expected to exceed an Air Quality Index value of 100. Updates are available onDECand onDOH websites.Changes in air quality can shift during the day. Check theEPA’s Airnowwebsite for more up-to-date and localized data. Find locations of nearby cooling centers,here. Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox.Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

The company hired to check air pollution after a giantwarehouse fire in Los Angeleshas been accused in the past of downplaying the public threat during high-profile environmental disasters. The June 17 firebroke outat a 500,000-square-foot cold storage facility owned by logistics behemoth Lineage. It burned for a week and sparked a state of emergency, with residents raising concerns about the risks posed by plumes of smoke that spread across the city. To answer those concerns, the warehouse company hired Arkansas-based Onterris to test air quality. Onterris reported "good" air quality and low levels of hazardous gases. But now, independent air pollution experts and local activists are telling CBS News that they believe the environmental testing, which is still ongoing, has been inadequate. "It's like the fox guarding the henhouse," Lesley Pacey, an environmental investigator for nonprofit Government Accountability Project, told CBS News. The public profile of Onterris is limited. The company was tied to some controversial cases before it underwent a rebrand in April. But a search of its former name, Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, or CTEH, reveals a more complicated story. The company has existed for 29 years, and has been hired by oil companies, rail carriers and heavy industry. On several occasions, environmental advocates have complained that the firm produced findings that downplayed the health risks to the public from polluted water and air after major disasters. When a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous chemicalsderailed in East Palestine, Ohio, in 2023, the railroad brought CTEH in for environmental testing. CTEH officials, monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency, took samples and told families their homes were safe. Residents later suffered migraines, nausea and seizures. Independent expertsclaimedCTEH's tests failed to look for the full range of dangerous compounds potentially released by the crash and sampled the air for too short a period to get accurate readings. "If you have the polluter doing [the testing and sampling], they have a built-in financial interest in not finding problems," Judith Enck, a former regional EPA administratortold CBS Newsin 2023. "There's absolutely a conflict of interest." At the time, CTEH disputed those claims, saying it conducted extensive testing and "pride ourselves on accurately representing the facts." Other controversies around the company's testing on behalf of polluters date back decades. Murphy Oil Corp. used the firm in 2005 to test for oil spill contamination after Hurricane Katrina at its Chalmette, Louisiana, refinery. The New York Timesreportedthat CTEH did not follow the EPA plan for soil sampling, produced clean toxicology reports and used the data to dissuade locals from filing lawsuits. CTEH said at the time its tests were under EPA supervision, and that it followed "best practice" methods. When oil giant BP hired CTEH after its 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, two members of Congress wrote to warn its CEO. "CTEH has a history of being hired by companies accused of harming public health and releasing findings defending the corporate interests that employ them," then-Reps. Lois Capps, of California, and Peter Welch, of Vermont, wrote ina letterto BP. Onterris officials disputed that past critique, telling CBS News the company in fact "identified numerous situations where air quality was negatively impacted by the [Deepwater Horizon] spill" and its data "was used to ensure the protection of human health." Advertisement Chinese drywall manufacturer Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin hired CTEH in 2006 to investigate claims of hydrogen sulfide in its products. CTEH found none were emitted, nor other noxious gases. The Consumer Product Safety Commission subsequently ranked two Knauf products as No. 1 and No. 4 in its top 10 list of hydrogen sulfide-contaminated "problem drywall." A class action lawsuit against Knauf over the drywall gas led to a $1.1 billionsettlementfor around 5,000 U.S. homeowners in 2011. The company admitted no wrongdoing or liability. Onterris told CBS News its tests in that instance found noxious gas levels "not high enough to cause health effects in humans" and the only harmful amounts were inside the drywall, a finding "not contradictory to studies conducted by other agencies." In 2008, a coal ash dam controlled by the Tennessee Valley Authority broke, releasing more than 1 billion gallons of sludge onto Roane County in one of the largest industrial spills in U.S. history. CTEH tested the air and declared it safe. Residents disagreed. "People were getting sick," Matt Landon, a staffer at anti-mountaintop mining nonprofit United Mountain Defense, told The New York Times in 2010. "Eyes swelling up, rashes, ear aches, wedding bands tarnishing. They said it was taking them time to get high-volume monitors out there." AnEPA auditfound CTEH's Tennessee tests "failed to meet quality assurance procedures." Onterris told CBS News it was only contracted for the emergency response phase of the disaster, and the air data it collected was "confirmed as accurate and correct." CTEH rebranded as "Onterris" in April this year. "While the name has changed, the team, expertise, and services remain the same," the firm said in a statement that month. Now, Los Angeles residents are questioning recent Onterris reports showing a lack of harmful chemicals in the air following the devastating warehouse blaze. East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice, a local environmentalist group, is working with independent air quality experts to take its own measurements. "We've been out there collecting samples doing the best we can," said Dr. Jill Johnston, a UC Irvine exposure scientist and environmental epidemiologist conducting the tests. "Particularly because of the foam that's used to insulate the warehouses, when it burns there's potential for a lot of volatile organic compounds, toxic gases, to come out with that smoke," she said. "And that data hasn't been collected systematically." Johnston said she believes that no agencies, including Lineage contractors, were checking for volatile organic compounds and heavy metals during the first few days of the fire, when they were most likely to be present at harmful levels. Onterris told CBS News that the company conducted testing at the direction of federal officials, and was only called by the warehouse's rooftop solar panel owner Altus Power on June 20, three days after the fire began. Onterris was on site from June 21, the company said. The firm's published reports say it began "roaming community monitoring" and checking the air for heavy metals on June 23. Emergency room visits from patients living within 10 miles of the warehouse spiked to three times the normal rate from the first day of the fire on June 17 through June 25, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. One federal monitoring station at Eastman Avenue Elementary School near the warehouse measured 755 micrograms per cubic meter of fine particles for more than an hour on June 19, a highly hazardous level, according to the state agency South Coast Air Quality Management District. During the devastating fires that destroyed swathes of the city in January 2025, a Caltech air monitor in Pasadena recorded about 650 micrograms per cubic meter.

Secondo il rapporto, eventuali nuove interruzioni o tensioni nell’area potrebbero avere ripercussioni significative non solo sugli approvvigionamenti energetici, ma anche su numerose filiere produttive italiane, dalla chimica alla metallurgia, dall’automotive all’agroalimentare, fino alla meccanica e alla manifattura avanzata. Inoltre, la geografia dei porti italiani coincide sempre più con quella delle principali aree di crisi internazionali: gli scali dell’Adriatico e del Nord-Est sono maggiormente esposti agli sviluppi nel Mar Nero, mentre quelli inseriti nelle catene transatlantiche risentono più direttamente delle tensioni commerciali e delle nuove normative ambientali europee, come ETS e FuelEU Maritime. L'Iran starebbe preparando un nuovo piano per assassinare Donald Trump. A riportarlo il Wall Street… "I fenomeni estremi originati dall’emergenza climatica in atto si stanno abbattendo, purtroppo sempre più frequentemente,… "Seguo con profonda tristezza e preoccupazione le notizie dei violenti incendi che nelle ultime ore… "I dati Istat sulla produzione industriale di maggio confermano il trend positivo per il comparto… Il presidente americano Donald Trump ha dichiarato al New York Post di aver "dato istruzioni"… Secondo i dati preliminari di Anfia, la produzione domestica delle sole autovetture a maggio ammonta…

Some 1,300 JCP&L customers in Monmouth and Ocean counties are still without power, some since the thunderstorms over the weekend and some from Monday's flooding. The utility is sticking to its timeline of restoration, saying the vast majority of Shore homes and businesses without power will have electricity again tonight, July 7, while remaining single-customer outages will be handled one-by-one on Wednesday. Throughout the state, about 18,500 customers of the three utilities that provide power were still without it at about 4 p.m. About 99 customers in Ocean Township remained without power at 3 p.m., with about half due to the flooding and the others since the thunderstorms, JCP&L spokesman Christopher Hoenig said. Yesterday's deluge took direct aim at Ocean Township and areas nearby, resulting in the partial roof collapse of the BJ's store on Route 35. The highest rainfall in New Jersey recorded by the National Weather Service fell in the area of the Summerfield Elementary School in Neptune Township, which saw 6.06 inches of rain. But according to anindependent report, 7 inches inundated the Oakhurst section of Ocean Township a short distance away — said to be a 200-year event. Wild weather:See Jersey Shore flooding, roof collapse at BJ's in Ocean Township Here's some of the other rain totals for Monmouth and Ocean counties, according to the National Weather Service: The rest of the week looks fine weather-wise, although there's a chance for thunderstorms. The bad weather from early this week has blown offshore and temperatures in the 60s replaced it around the state. Wednesday will bring sunny skies and highs in the low 80s, 70s along the coast, according to the National Weather Service in Mount Holly. Thursday will see sunny skies but a 60% to 70% chance of thunderstorms in Monmouth and Ocean counties, with temperatures rising to the upper 80s inland, 70s along the coast. Friday will be sunny with a chance of thunderstorms and temperatures that will hit the low 90s, lower along the coast, the weather service said. The forecast for Saturday is sunny with temperatures in the mid- to upper-80s. ReporterKen Serranocan be reached at 732-643-4029 or at kserrano@gannettnj.com.

With blackouts stretching into the fourth day, Jersey Central Power & Light faced a storm of criticism on July 6 from public officials who said they had trouble getting accurate information from the electric company about progress it was making to restore service. Some Jersey Shore-area officials, who spent a blistering hot Fourth of July weekend setting up cooling stations and fielding calls from angry constituents, called for a state inquiry into JCP&L's operation. "We've had three days of violent weather, which I don't blame on JCP&L," Marlboro Mayor Jonathan Hornik said. "And I don't even blame the workers. I blame their lack of communication. People need transparency." JCP&L continued to restore power to Monmouth and Ocean County townsafter a series of storms, including one the night of July 3 that tore through the region with heavy winds and rain. It brought down trees and power lines, and it heavily damaged electrical equipment. Still to come:Auction reveals what will happen to your NJ electric rate in 2026 JCP&L outages aren't uncommon. But this one came asconsumers have been digging deeper to pay for higher electric bills,and its timing — in the middle of a heat wave with the region celebrating the nation's 250th anniversary on a Fourth of July weekend — was lousy. The storm knocked out power at least briefly to some 325,000 JCP&L customers statewide. By 2:30 p.m. on July 6 that number had been whittled down to about 36,000, including about 6,000 in Monmouth and Ocean counties. Among them was Andy Majaros, 61, of Bradley Beach, who was home watching the World Cup with his wife, Lynda; stepson, Kyle; and dog, Duncan, on the afternoon of July 3, when a nearby transformer blew out and caused a power outage on his block. Majaros thought the power could be repaired relatively quickly. But the storm blew through the area, tying up crews. With no air conditioning, the family slept on couches, took cold showers and charged their phones in the car. They stayed with family members who had power each of the next two nights. Majaros on the morning of July 6 wasn't sure when power would be restored. "It's been horrible," Majaros said. "It happens to be the two hottest days of the year." The outage put a wrench in prospects for some Shore business owners, who were anticipating big crowds on the holiday weekend. The staff at Ice Cream Monster in Matawan was bracing for a busy night on July 3 when the power went out. Owner Chad Simons started the generators. The freezer didn't work, so he called a friend who was an electrician to repair it. And then he waited for power to be restored. It would take a while. He went across the street to eat at QuickChek. And then he returned. Still nothing. He decided to sleep in his car in the parking lot, he said, occasionally turning on the air conditioning to cool off. "I don't even think I slept more than 15, 20 minutes at a time," Simons said. The power was restored at about 11 a.m. the next day, Simons said, in time for Ice Cream Monster to salvage the weekend. What JCP&L has been doing:Ocean County population growing so quickly that JCP&L needs to spend $108M to keep up The heat wave and subsequent outage were dangerous. Some 29 New Jerseyans, their ages ranging from their 30s to their 80s, died due to heat-related illnesses, the New Jersey Depatrmtent of Health said. JCP&L came under scrutiny. Assemblywoman Vicky Flynn, R-Monmouth, said local officials from some of the 16 towns she represents reached out to her because JCP&L virtually "went dark," leaving them without the information they needed to respond. Meantime, Flynn said she told residents to visit supermarkets that partner with JCP&L to provide customers with free ice and water during outages. But customers reported some of the supermarkets were out of both, Flynn said. "It seems to repeat itself," Flynn said of the utility's outages."What are we going to do to not allow that to happen again?" Weather troubles continue:See Jersey Shore flooding, roof collapse at BJ's in Ocean Township Sen. Vin Gopal, D-Monmouth, agreed. With "Uber and Grubhub, you know where your food is," Gopal said. "I just don't understand the technology challenges that are happening here: why people don't have accurate information on when crews are arriving or where they are in a priority order." Mother Nature continues to test New Jersey's electric system.JCP&L last year reached an agreement with the state Board of Public Utilitiesto dramatically cut a $930.5 million program designed to fortify the electric grid over concerns that it would be too expensive for ratepayers. The new program calls for a $202.5 million in network upgrades over 3½ years. In response to the criticism, JCP&L spokesman Chris Hoenig said the company had extra crews in place, but the storm was worse than forecast. The company works closely with elected leaders. It provided the information it had as it came in. Unpaid electric bill?NJ won't let utilities cut you off in the heat "Some of these towns have hundreds or more damaged locations within them," Hoenig said. "We at one point had over 6,000 damage outage orders in our system, meaning individual locations that have damage that has to be repaired. You know there there are a lot of individual locations. The customers affected by each of those locations are going to have their their own (estimated times of response)." Still, some local officials were calling for New Jersey to levy tougher penalties on JCP&L. In Marlboro, where 40% of the town had lost its power at some point during the heat wave, Hornik said he was so frustrated that he wanted the company's president to step down. "I have had JCP&L tell me that neighborhoods in Marlboro are having power restored, and then I have to go to Facebook and ask people to post whether it's true," Hornik said. "And they're like, 'No, it's not true.' So they don't even have their internal act together, let alone the ability to communicate accurate information." "Now, at the end of the day, I completely understand this storm came out of nowhere," he said. "Nobody predicted it. It's a holiday weekend. They probably had a light schedule. But when you have 100-degree-plus heat, electricity becomes not a luxury. It's a necessity." Michael L. Diamond is a business reporter at the Asbury Park Press. He has been writing about the New Jersey economy, real estate market, and health care industry since 1999. He can be reached at mdiamond@gannettnj.com.

The Government of Québec will provide C$5.1 million to support two shore power projects at the Port of Québec. The funding includes C$4 million for the electrification of Wharf 30 and C$1.1 million for Wharf 101 under the province’s transport efficiency program. The projects will provide the electrical infrastructure needed for shore power. Compatible cruise ships and cargo vessels will be able to connect to the grid and switch off their auxiliary engines while alongside. The Port of Québec said the projects are a key part of its decarbonization strategy. “Shore power is central to our decarbonization strategy. It will improve air quality and citizens’ lives while reinforcing the Port’s commitment to the energy transition,” said Olga Farman, President and CEO of the Port of Québec. Wharf 30 serves international cruise ships. The port expects shore power to cut greenhouse gas emissions from cruise calls by about 90% over the next 10 years. That represents nearly 70,000 tonnes of emissions. Wharf 101 will become the first cargo wharf on the St. Lawrence River to offer shore power connections. The project will eliminate hundreds of hours of fossil fuel use each year. Over 10 years, it is expected to reduce emissions by nearly 5,600 tonnes. It will also improve air quality and reduce noise. Bernard Drainville, Québec’s Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy and Minister Responsible for Maritime Strategy, said the investment will modernize the port while supporting economic growth and environmental objectives. The Port of Québec said the projects will also strengthen the Canada-New England green shipping corridor. By 2030, several ports along the route, including Montréal, Charlottetown, Halifax, Boston and New York, are expected to offer shore power. The Wharf 30 project has a total cost of C$23 million. The Government of Canada will provide half of the funding through the Green Shipping Corridor Program. Québec will contribute C$4 million, while the Port of Québec will invest up to C$7.5 million. The Wharf 101 project will cost C$5.1 million. The federal government will provide half of the funding. Québec will contribute C$1.1 million, while the Port of Québec will invest nearly C$1.5 million. The port expects shore power to be available at both wharves in the fall of 2028.

July 6, 2026 The Port of Québec is advancing a 16 megawatt shore power project at Berth 30, strengthening its cruise infrastructure and supporting lower-emission operations on the Saint Lawrence. Scheduled to be operational in 2028, the system will allow compatible cruise ships to connect directly to Québec's hydroelectric grid while docked. Shore power reduces the need for ships to run auxiliary engines during port calls, helping cut greenhouse gas emissions, local air pollutants and noise while vessels are alongside. The project is part of a nearly $70 million investment in Berth 30 and related cruise infrastructure. The Port of Québec said the project is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at berth by up to 90 percent, representing approximately 70,000 tons of avoided emissions over time. It also is expected to help cruise lines improve environmental performance, support Carbon Intensity Indicator goals and offer passengers a more sustainable way to experience the destination. The Québec project adds to growing shore power momentum across the Canada & New England and Saint Lawrence region. Montreal and New York already have shore power capabilities in place, while Boston has advanced shore power planning and Charlottetown has announced funding for its own shore power project. Together, these investments help position the region as one of North America's most compelling cruise destinations for lower-emission itineraries, strong port infrastructure and responsible destination growth.

More than 120,000 customersthroughout New Jersey remained without power on Sunday, July 5, including about 30,000 in Jersey Shore communities as storms have pounded the area on the weekend of America's 250th birthday. As of the morning of July 5, there were still 122,398 outages across the state, including 19,418 in Monmouth County and 9,910 in Ocean County. Chris Hoenig, a JCP&L spokesman, confirmed that some customers have received notifications that theirpower won’t come back until as late as Thursday, July 9. However, temperatures should be better Sunday than the prior few days, whena heatwave caused 19 deathsaround the Jersey Shore. Sunday looks to have highs in the low 80s. Howell Mayor John Leggio said that "over the last 24 hours, Howell Township was hit by a devastating storm that knocked out power to more than 12,000 homes, sparked fires that damaged homes, and brought down countless trees, blocking roads and disrupting traffic throughout our community." Leggio thanked police, fire and others for their work, as well as JCP&L and utility linemen and women "working 16-hour shifts in difficult conditions to restore power as quickly and safely as possible." He said the Howell Township Senior Services Building will reopen as a cooling and charging center on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for residents and their pets. Just before 5 p.m. Saturday, 32,996 customers in Monmouth County and 2,255 in Ocean County were still without power. In Marlboro, where 5,885 JCP&L customers of 17,171 remained without power, a frustrated Mayor Jonathan Hornik took to Facebook to express his anger with the company. “I have just spoke to senior JCP&L leadership who assured me we would see JCPL assets in Marlboro shortly,” Hornik posted on Facebook in the early afternoon hours. “I have asked Marlboro (Police) to report to me directly when they see crews in town working. The fact that JCP&L restoration has to be mirco-managed by mayors is pathetic. My only goal at this point is to have JCP&L make repairs asap.” Hornik said JCP&L crews would have much of the township back online that evening. “Just got communication from JCP&L that the Ryan Road area of town, including the Greenbriar residents, our largest senior community, will be restored shortly,” the mayor said. “This will affect approximately 1,000 homes." Charles Daye is the metro reporter for Asbury Park and Neptune, with a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion.@CharlesDayeAPPContact him: CDaye@gannettnj.com

An estimated 140,000 customers of Jersey Central Power & Light were without electricity throughout the state on Saturday evening, following the powerful, fast-moving storm that tore through the region Friday night amidthe ongoing brutal summer heat wave. Chris Hoenig, a JCP&L spokesman, confirmed that some customers have received notifications that their power won’t come back until as late as Thursday, July 9. As the company continues to assess the damage to its transmission network and as it calls upon more crews to come to the region to help repair the damage, the goal is to move up that estimated restoration time, he said. Large outage areas are prioritized first, with restoration times longer for those in neighborhoods where perhaps only one or a few homes were impacted by the same outage event. Friday night’s thunderstorms resulted in extensive tree damage, which snapped countless transmission lines, broke poles and even damaged transformers, Hoenig said. “At one point, we had 5,000 outage orders — that’s 5,000 separate locations,” he said. Hoenig said he himself was in the same proverbial boat as everyone else without power. He explained that he was forced to relocate his family to a distant hotel because his home has been without power since the storm and he did not expect it to be restored until the end of the weekend. Frank Gaffney, director of the Division of Reliability and Security for the state Board of Public Utilities, said there were a total of more than 300,000 power outages statewide with 165,000 outages as of the time of the governor’s news conference about the weather at 1 p.m. Saturday in Woodbridge. “Utility crews are working around the clock to restore the service,” Gaffney said. “Additional personnel and mutual aid resources have been mobilized where needed.” Nonetheless, some outages may last for several days, he said. Check here forJCP&L outage mapinformation. “We have not seen weather like this in almost 14 years,” said Kris Kolluri, president and chief executive officer of NJ Transit, who also spoke at the news conference. “The storms last night, in particular — the words that my colleagues on the ground used — this is the most severe storm they’ve seen in a very, very long time.” Rail service on the Morris and Essex, Gladstone Branch, Montclair-Boonton, and North Jersey Coast Lines all remained suspended on Saturday afternoon due to ongoing repairs to infrastructure damage following last night’s severe storms. All other rail lines had resumed service, but some residual delays are possible. NJ Transit rail tickets and passes were being cross honored on NJ Transit buses and some private carriers, as well at the PATH at Newark Penn Station, Hoboken Terminal, and 33rd Street in New York City. “That weather was so severe last night — in the span of 20 to 30 minutes — it caused extraordinary damage,” Kolluri said. “Last night’s thunderstorms tore through Northern New Jersey and down the Shore, these storms came on quick and they hit hard,” said Gov. Mikie Sherrill. “Winds as high as 80 miles per hour knocked down power lines and trees. As of now, although we have restored 135,000 people to power, more than 165,000 homes and business remain without.” The severe weather system, which tracked from north to south across the state, packed a punch with high winds, heavy rain, and frequent lightning. The storm brought down trees, tore down power lines, and heavily damaged electrical equipment, creating hazardous conditions across multiple communities. Related:Over 175K NJ residents remain without power on Fourth of July By Saturday morning, the aftermath was stark. According to JCP&L, the storm initially impacted more than 210,000 customers across its entire New Jersey territory. On Saturday morning, roughly 150,000 customers remained in the dark statewide.A customer represents a home or business. At the Shore, Monmouth County bore the brunt of the local outages on Saturday morning, with 40,005 out of 296,773 customers still without power. The hardest-hit municipalities in the county include: In Ocean County, the impact was concentrated primarily in its northern municipalities, where 9,168 out of 260,714 customers were actively waiting for restoration. The highest outages were reported in: In Point Pleasant, a large portion of the borough was left completely dark. Local police issued an early morning alert instructing residents that utility crews were actively assessing the damage, but noted that there was no immediate estimated time for full restoration. Hoenig emphasized that crews have been working around the clock under demanding conditions. Utility workers had already been working 16-hour shifts prior to the storm due to the extreme heat. “This is and has been an all-hands response — utility workers understand that they may have to spend holidays away from their families,” Hoenig said. Just before 5 p.m. Saturday, 32,996 customers in Monmouth County and 2,255 in Ocean County were still without power. In Marlboro, where 5,885 JCP&L customers of 17,171 remained without power, a frustrated Mayor Jonathan Hornik took to Facebook to express his anger with the company. “I have just spoke to senior JCP&L leadership who assured me we would see JCPL assets in Marlboro shortly,” Hornik posted on Facebook in the early afternoon hours. “I have asked Marlboro (Police) to report to me directly when they see crews in town working. The fact that JCP&L restoration has to be mirco-managed by mayors is pathetic. My only goal at this point is to have JCP&L make repairs asap.” Just before 5 p.m. on Saturday, Hornik said JCP&L crews would have much of the township back online that evening. “Just got communication from JCP&L that the Ryan Road area of town, including the Greenbriar residents, our largest senior community, will be restored shortly,” the mayor said. “This will affect approximately 1,000 homes. I will update you as I receive more informartion. The cooling and charging station will remain open until 11 p.m. tonight. We will remain diligent until all Marlboro residents’ power is restored.” In other local news:NJ household income; see the gap between Monmouth and Ocean counties More than 1,700 personnel are currently deployed to the storm response, including over 800 line workers and 500 forestry workers. JCP&L has also requested mutual aid from contractor partners, with more line, transmission, and substation crews expected to arrive in the coming hours and days. Because of the widespread damage, Hoenig noted that the restoration process will take time. “This is going to be a long response and we are working through our protocols, including damage assessment and crew work-planning, to ensure that the information we provide to our customers is as accurate as possible,” he said. With triple-digit temperatures expected to impact the region again Saturday, local officials and utility reps are urging residents without air conditioning to prioritize safety. A local cooling station has been officially established at the Sea Bright Recreation Center, where 239 customers were without power on Saturday morning, according to borough police. In Fair Haven, where 108 customers were without power, a cooling center has been set up at the community center at 35 Fisk Street behind police headquarters. JCP&L advised residents to visitnj211.orgto find an updated list of open cooling centers in their specific neighborhoods. To assist residents dealing with extended outages, JCP&L is currently coordinating free ice and water vouchers at participating local grocery stores. Residents can find the list of participating locations by visitingjcp-l.com. Contact Asbury Park Press reporter Erik Larsen at elarsen@gannettnj.com.

First and foremost, Happy 4th of July to you all. We hope you’re having a safe, happy, and healthy Independence Weekend on America’s 250th birthday. Last night, ShoreTown Ballpark, like so many throughout Monmouth and Ocean Counties (and beyond), experienced an unprecedented storm that has left so many New Jersey residents and businesses without power. While we are thankful to the men and women that are working tirelessly to restore power, ShoreTown Ballpark still does not have power and we are unsure of the timeline to restore. We would like to sincerely thank our Front Office and Gameday Staffs for their effort and hard work in securing the ballpark and keeping our fans safe during last night’s extreme weather. We would also like to thank all of our fans that were both in attendance last night and so many more that have reached out to check in on all of us. Times like this reinforce the fact that we have the absolute best fans in Minor League Baseball. Thank you for your patience, thank you for your understanding, and thank you for working with our staff to ensure the safety of everyone in the ballpark last night. Unfortunately, with no certain timeline for power restoration, plus the many new challenges that this has likely presented once the power is inevitably restored, we are forced at this point to cancel tonight’s July 4thgame. As of now, tomorrow’s game, scheduled for a 1pm start, is still on as scheduled and will be one 9-inning game. Due to the power outage, our phone system is also down and our staff is unable to answer calls. Your patience is appreciated. Once power is restored, we will be able to assist you. Thank you again to all that have helped thus far or reached out with well-wishes for our staff and team. Your support means the world to us. We are working on plans to shift all of our planned festivities and will update everyone once those plans are set. Have a happy and healthy 4thof July, please celebrate responsibly, and be safe out there! -Jersey Shore BlueClaws-

As more ports across Canada/New England electrify, the region becomes increasingly attractive for cruise lines, CLIA's Bud Darr said. July 3, 2026 Port of Québec's 16-megawattshore powerproject is now targeted to become operational by 2028 atCruise Terminal 30, supporting lower-emission operations on the St. Lawrence. The province of Québec has just confirmed up to $4m for the $23m installation, adding to $12.5m from the federalgovernmentand the rest funded by the port authority. "Electrification at berth is really important for the cruise lines but also for the community so we're happy we can go ahead with that and support our industry," said Marie-Andrée Blanchet, director, cruise and international development, Port of Québec. Canada/New England distances are great. Traveling betweenNew Yorkand Québec is carbon-intensive, so using shore power is a significant way toreduce the carbon footprintat berth, helping lines with theIMO'sCarbon Intensity Indicator (CII). One of the world's top-rated cruise destinations PHOTO: QUEBEC TOURISME Also, time in port at Québec is considerably longer than other transit and turnaround cities. One of the world's top-rated cruise destinations, Québec is a place people want to linger. Around 70% of calls are overnight stays or turnarounds spanning three days. Related:Cruise Canada/New England splashes out with unified marketing "This is where it gets significantly important for CII because it's two or three days of not moving, with no emissions," Blanchet said. In 2028, it's estimated 82% of ships' time in port will be electrified. Greenhouse gas emissions at berth are expected to be reduced up to 90%, representing approximately 70,000 tons of avoided emissions over time. "Port investments like this are essential to the cruise industry’s ability to reduce emissions at berth and continue advancing toward a more sustainable future,” said Bud Darr, president and CEO,Cruise Lines International Association. “Québec’s investment in hydroelectric-sourced shore power is important not only for the Port of Québec, but for the broader St. Lawrence and Canada & New England cruise region," he continued. "As more ports across the corridor invest in providing shore power, the region becomes an increasingly attractive choice for cruise lines and guests seeking exceptional travel experiences supported by environmentally sound operations.” Montréal, Halifax and New York (Brooklyn) already offer shore power, whileCharlottetownandBostonare installing it, too. "It's a way to create a green corridor," Blanchet said. "It's a big part of an itinerary in the Canada/New England region and a way for us to stay competitive compared to other itineraries." Québec shore power has already been six years in the making, a pledge to the community's annual cruise forums and "part of the social license to operate in our city," according to Blanchet. Related:Canada/New England cruise numbers: What the CLIA data reveal "We care. We are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with berths right in the city. We want to be sure we keep offering the conditions for our citizens to keep embracing cruise." She added: "CLIA is always saying that only 3% of ports are electrified, so we're happy to join the club and be leaders in this industry." Cruise Terminal 30's wide apron will help facilitate the shore power installation PHOTO: PORT OF QUEBEC Shore power completes the $70m investment into building Cruise Terminal 30, which Blanchet called "the Cadillac of cruise terminals" due to its size, accommodating up to 5,000 passengers, a wide apron, its flexible, customizable design, city center shuttles and, soon, its environmental advantage. Planners from lines big and small recenty inspected the facility, along with the two-berth Ross Gaudreault Cruise Terminal, as part of a familiarization visit ahead of the Cruise Canada/New England Symposium in Saguenay. Port of Québec is also studying the feasibility of providingLNGto cruise ships, something already available for cargo vessels, which bunker LNG by truck. LNG is not yet available by barge in the St. Lawrence. Énergir is the gas provider. Related:Cruise the Saint Lawrence tallies sustainability wins The port is conducting a risk assessment about LNG bunkering by truck to cruise ships as well, something Blanchet said Québec would like to be able to do by 2029. Read more about: Anne Kalosh Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review Anne Kalosh covers global stories, reporting both breaking and in-depth news on cruising's significant people, places, ships and trends. A sought-after expert on cruising, she has moderated conferences around the world, including the high-profile State of the Industry panel at Seatrade Cruise Global multiple times, and appeared as the "cruise industry expert" on a cruise-themed episode of "Everybody's Live with John Mulaney" (Netflix LIVE March 19, 2025). Kalosh created and led the acclaimed itinerary-planning case study for Seatrade's cruise master classes held at Cambridge and Oxford universities. She has been the cruise columnist for AFAR.com, and her freelance stories have appeared in a wide range of publications, from The New York Times to The Miami Herald.

The data center industry does not have a communication problem. It has a transparency problem. Across the country, projects are being delayed, contested and, in some cases, stopped before construction begins. The common thread is not always power or water. It is process. Communities are finding out too late, with too little information, about projects that will reshape their local infrastructure. That is not a public relations issue. It is a development failure. The use of nondisclosure agreements, redacted filings and accelerated approvals has become common in many jurisdictions. These tools are often justified as necessary to protect proprietary information or to maintain competitive positioning. In some cases, they are justified. But, when projects rely too heavily on secrecy, they create the very opposition they are trying to avoid. When residents discover that key decisions were made behind closed doors, trust collapses. When basic information about water use, energy demand or site impact is withheld, communities assume the worst. Once that perception takes hold, the project is no longer being evaluated on its merits. It is being rejected on principle. The industry often treats transparency as a concession — something to offer once a project is already underway or facing resistance. That approach is backward. Transparency is not a moral position. It is a development strategy. Projects that disclose early, clearly and consistently tend to move faster. They face fewer surprises in public hearings, fewer legal challenges and less political resistance. They give communities time to understand, question and adjust before positions harden. Projects that do not take this approach tend to follow a predictable path. Late disclosure, rapid opposition, prolonged delays and, in some cases, cancellation. This pattern is now visible across multiple states. And it is accelerating. What was once a localized reaction has evolved into a more coordinated response. Advocacy groups are sharing information, comparing projects and training communities on how to challenge approvals. Across multiple markets, opposition groups have used limited disclosure around power demand, water use or development agreements as a focal point for organizing resistance because it is the easiest argument to understand. You do not need to interpret megawatts or cooling systems to understand that something was hidden from you. That simplicity makes secrecy a liability. It also makes it unnecessary. Most of the information that communities are asking for is not proprietary. It is foundational. Expected power demand, water sourcing, general site plans, noise levels and construction timelines — these are not trade secrets. They are inputs that determine local impact. Withholding them does not create advantage. It creates friction. The next phase of data center development will require a different standard. Disclosure should not begin after land is secured and permits are filed. It should begin at the point where a project becomes real. Before assumptions harden, before narratives form, before opposition organizes. That does not mean every detail must be public immediately. It means the elements that affect communities should be visible, understandable and consistent across projects. Right now, there is no common framework for that. Each project is disclosed differently. Key data points are missing or inconsistent. Communities are left to piece together information from fragmented sources, often under time pressure. That environment does not produce informed decisions. It produces resistance. It also creates risk for developers and capital providers. A project that becomes defined by what it hides will spend more time navigating process than executing development. In a market where speed matters, that delay is costly. The industry has a choice: It can continue to treat transparency as a negotiation, offering just enough information to move a project forward; or it can treat transparency as a baseline, embedding disclosure into the development process itself. Only one of those paths scales. Because in this cycle, the projects that succeed will not be the ones that reveal the least. They will be the ones that reveal enough, early enough, to earn the right to proceed. And once a project becomes a story about secrecy, it is already behind. Suhail Y. Tayeb is clinical assistant professor at New York University’sSchack Institute of Real Estateand director of the Center for the Sustainable Built Environment.

Los preparativos para la gran celebración comenzaron hace cinco años. Te contamos cómo será. ¡Todo está listo!Estados Unidoscelebra este sábado 4 de julio su aniversario número 250 y Telemundo se unirá a través de una cobertura especial en vivo a partir de las 9 am ET hasta la 1 pm ET. La cobertura comenzará a las9 am ET /8 am CTconSail4th 250, un evento sin precedentes que reunirá decenas de embarcaciones de 20 países en el puerto deNueva York. El especial será conducido por Carlos Calderón, presentador deHoy Día, y Lourdes Stephen, deAl Rojo Vivo, Casi 50 veleros provenientes de distintos rincones del mundo protagonizarán el Desfile Internacional de Veleros en el Puerto de Nueva York. El recorrido comenzará en el puente Verrazzano-Narrows, continuará frente a la Estatua de la Libertad y seguirá por el río Hudson hasta el puente George Washington, donde compartirán el escenario con una flota anclada de buques de la Marina de Estados Unidos y de países aliados. Noticias de Noreste 24/7 en Telemundo 47. Podrás seguir esta histórica celebración a través de Telemundo, Peacock y en este artículo. Participarán imponentes veleros de Argentina, Chile, Colombia, República Dominicana, Ecuador, Francia, Alemania, Perú, India, Italia, Mónaco, los Países Bajos, Polonia, Portugal, Rumanía, España, Suecia y Uruguay mientras navegan hacia el Puerto de Nueva York. Una iniciativa que durará un año e incluirá programación especial y eventos en vivo para celebrar la rica historia, cultura y espíritu innovador de nuestra nación, con motivo del 250 aniversario de Estados Unidos. La extensa cobertura en vivo del Desfile Internacional de Veleros del 4 de julio será el punto culminante del evento: podrás verla el 4 de julioen vivo por Telemundoy Peacock desde las 7:00 a.m. ET hasta la 1:00 p.m. ET. NBCU Local es colaborador de Sail4th 250 y ofrecerá cobertura en vivo desde distintos puntos de la ciudad, incluyendo la Isla del Gobernador, Riverbank Park, Roosevelt Park y el Intrepid, así como a bordo del Queen Mary 2, el USCGC Eagle y veleros de Perú e Italia, entre otras locaciones a lo largo del puerto. "Con 50 días por delante, el Puerto de Nueva York está listo para recibir al mundo", declaró Chris O'Brien, presidente de Sail4th 250. "Los hombres y mujeres que han dedicado años a hacer posible este evento —en la Marina de EEUU, la Guardia Costera, Sail4th 250 y docenas de agencias colaboradoras— han logrado algo que este país no ha visto en toda una generación. El 4 de julio, el mundo será testigo de un verdadero intercambio de buena voluntad internacional." A través de esta alianza, las estaciones de NBC y Telemundo presentarán la cobertura de Sail4th 250 en televisión, plataformas de streaming y digitales a nivel nacional antes y durante el evento, que se celebrará del 3 al 8 de julio en Nueva York. Para ver los veleros más grandes e imponentes del histórico evento,haz clic aquí.

The PowerBuoy is deployed off the Jersey Shore coast in May. The floating data hub delivers real-time information on ocean conditions and is a collaborative effort among Stockton, Rutgers University, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority and Ocean Power Technologies Inc. Port Republic, N.J.— A compact offshore research platform has been deployed off the Jersey Shore, revitalizing the historic Long-Term Ecosystem Observatory (LEO) site and advancing a new era of ocean research, education and marine innovation in New Jersey. Anchored about three miles offshore of the Rutgers Marine Field Station in Tuckerton, the platform, known as the PowerBuoy®, serves as a floating data hub that delivers real-time information on ocean conditions while supporting scientific instruments, education initiatives and emerging marine technologies. The PowerBuoy, which was built by Ocean Power Technologies Inc. of Monroe Township, is located about three miles offshore of the Rutgers Marine Field Station in Tuckerton. Stockton's Marine Field Station will support access to the site of the buoy. “The PowerBuoy will help unlock significant opportunities for marine research, scientific discovery and economic growth, all of which will advance New Jersey’s innovation future,” said Evan Weiss, chief executive of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority. “Under the leadership of Governor Mikie Sherrill, the NJEDA is proud to partner with Rutgers University and Stockton University to grow our green economy and position New Jersey as a national leader in sustainable technology.” The deployment marks a major milestone in a collaborative effort among Rutgers University, Stockton University, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority and Ocean Power Technologies Inc., a publicly traded, Monroe Township-based provider of maritime technology and services. Together, the partners aim to position New Jersey as a leader in sustainable marine innovation while delivering tangible benefits for research, workforce development and economic growth. Along the coast, scientists and researchers at two marine field stations will provide logistical and research support for the facility. The Rutgers Marine Field Station is located within the Mullica River-Great Bay estuary, one of the most pristine estuaries on the East Coast. Researchers there focus on fish ecology, coastal impacts and storm-related environmental change. Data from the offshore buoy will complement long-term estuarine observations, creating a more comprehensive understanding of coastal dynamics. “The Rutgers Marine Field Station has long supported scientists working to understand the dynamic coastal environments and fisheries that define New Jersey,” said Thomas Grothues, director of the Rutgers Marine Field Station. “The revitalized LEO observatory extends that work from the estuary to the coastal ocean. By linking long-term observations near shore with new data from offshore, we can better study how fish, habitats, storms and changing marine conditions interact.” In Port Republic, the Stockton Marine Field Station occupies an 8-acre waterfront site with laboratories, teaching and office space, dockage and a fleet of research vessels such as the R/V Petrel, which will support access to the LEO site. Research conducted at Stockton includes sediment transport, tidal dynamics, seafloor mapping, water quality monitoring and cultural resource investigations. “Stockton University is proud to be part of this partnership that expands hands-on opportunities for our students,” said Amanda Norvell, dean of the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at Stockton. “With direct access to advanced ocean technology and real-time data, our students can engage in meaningful research and fieldwork, helping prepare them to become the next generation of coastal scientists and innovators.” Powered by solar and wind energy, the LEO-15 PowerBuoy® system is a compact, autonomous offshore platform built and designed by Ocean Power Technologies. Altogether, the buoy stands about as tall as a streetlight, but it has a small surface footprint suited for shallow-water research. Above the waves, a small, round platform holds solar panels, small wind turbines, weather instruments and real-time communication sensors, allowing the system to collect and send ocean data for long periods without the need for a large, fixed structure offshore. Stockton University is proud to be part of this partnership that expands hands-on opportunities for our students. With direct access to advanced ocean technology and real-time data, our students can engage in meaningful research and fieldwork, helping prepare them to become the next generation of coastal scientists and innovators.”Amanda Norvell, dean of Stockton's School of Natural Sciences and MathematicsThe system also will provide additional ports for scientists and educators to deploy their own instruments. The buoy can support sensors that track weather, waves, water quality and other ocean conditions while serving as a test site for emerging marine technologies. Researchers, students and companies will be able to use the site to evaluate instruments, gather data and develop tools that could improve coastal monitoring, marine sustainability and storm preparedness. The buoy was deployed May 2, renewing activity at a pioneering marine observatory site with deep roots in Rutgers-led coastal research. The initiative is expected to create opportunities for workforce training, attract investment in ocean science and support startups and inventors working within the ocean economy, project leaders said. By providing offshore infrastructure for testing and development, the project will give researchers, students and companies a place to evaluate sensors, communications systems and other marine technologies under real ocean conditions. That kind of access can help move promising ideas from the laboratory into the field, while preparing students for careers in coastal science, marine operations and the expanding blue economy. The LEO program, originally known as LEO-15, was established in 1996 as a pioneering ocean observatory that delivered real-time data from two cabled seafloor platforms, or nodes. It supported research on storms, sediment transport, phytoplankton, fish ecology and broader coastal dynamics. The 15 refers to the site’s depth of 15 meters, about 50 feet, where the observatory was installed. LEO-15 was among the first systems in the world to integrate cabled observatories with autonomous underwater vehicles for coordinated data collection. The cabled seafloor nodes provided continuous measurements from fixed locations, while autonomous underwater vehicles could be sent through the surrounding water to collect data across a wider area. Used together, the fixed instruments and mobile vehicles gave scientists a fuller picture of changing coastal conditions than either approach could provide alone. Rutgers scientists said the legacy of LEO-15 continued as ocean-observing technology advanced in the mid-2000s, with researchers increasingly combining fixed sensors, mobile underwater vehicles, satellite data and shore-based systems to study coastal change. The new wireless monitoring system builds on that history, revitalizing the site and extending its role as a testbed for coastal science and marine technology. Tagged:NewsMarine Science2026Marine Filed Station Additional Locations Stockton University101 Vera King Farris DriveGalloway, NJ 08205-9441(609) 652-1776Maps, Directions & ParkingAccessibility Statement Stockton University is an Equal Opportunity Institution©2026 Stockton University