New Jersey regulators rejected a Chinese-backed windmill project twice, but that didn’t stop the Department of Energy.

The federal government has awarded $47 million to sweeten the deal for a $188 million project the Garden State has deemed too risky for ratepayers.

Fishermen’s Energy wants to install five windmills off the coast of Atlantic City. Its leadership hopes the infusion of cash will sway the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, which up until this point has not been receptive to the project.

“Fishermen’s is confident that the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities will recognize the vetting by the DOE of the project, and will now engage with Fishermen’s to finalize our … application so the project can proceed expeditiously,” said Chris Wissemann, the company’s CEO, the Associated Press reported.

Greg Reinert, a spokesman for the New Jersey utilities board, declined to offer much for AP’s story, aside from noting that Fishermen’s Energy is appealing the project’s most recent denial in court.

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities concluded in April that the Chinese company did not demonstrate financial integrity.

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