At least two companies are studying the idea of building hundreds of windmills along the coast. But Codey will issue an executive order next week banning such projects for the time being, a spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

"He believes it's a very serious issue and an issue that deserves the time and consideration that a serious issue merits," Kelly Heck said.

Codey hasn't decided the length of the moratorium, she added, saying that would depend on how long the state needs to study potential impacts on marine life, birds, the visual impact along the shore and how it all affects tourism.

New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities gave a Virginia firm $300,000 two years ago to assess the feasibility of wind power along the Jersey Shore. Another company, based in New York, has proposed building windmills clustered in five sites from Long Beach to Cape May.

The windmills could be 400 feet tall, but the company says they would be miles offshore and no threat to aesthetics or the environment.

Codey's moratorium split environmental groups in the state. Some applauded the idea, citing the potential threats and uncertain benefits of wind farms. Others were aghast, saying the state needs to do all it can to promote clean, renewable energy.

"Wind is one of the best solutions out there right now for clean energy," said Emily Rusch of the New Jersey Public Interest Research Group. "A moratorium just sends a bad message, like it's something we should be frightened of."

Rusch said the state should allow a pilot project of five or 10 windmills off the coast and said it was the only way to tell if wind power made sense.

Heck said Codey is being prudent.

"He's not saying no to renewable alternative energy," she said. "There have been no off-shore windmills anywhere in the United States. It's a new issue and a new issue requires some time to look at all the impacts."

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E-mail: nussbaum@northjersey.com