New Wind Farm Projects and Rebids Stir Up New Jersey Coastline

New Wind Farm Projects and Rebids Stir Up New Jersey Coastline

The buzz around New Jersey’s offshore wind energy sector just got louder.

This week two new proposals for offshore wind projects hit the state’s Board of Public Utilities (BPU), while a third developer is looking to tweak the terms of a previously greenlit project.

New Bids on the Horizon

The latest round of solicitations, the state’s fourth, saw three bids submitted by the deadline.

Among these, at least one is an entirely new project, while Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind has put forth a request to modify half of its existing two-phase project, which has already jumped through several preliminary hoops at both the state and federal levels.

Details on the third bid remain under wraps for now.

Atlantic Shores Seeks a Re-bid

Atlantic Shores is not introducing a fresh project but is aiming to revise the first segment of its Atlantic Shores 1 project.

Their strategy involves bundling this with the second phase, Atlantic Shores 2. This move is facilitated by the BPU’s provision allowing companies to rebid previously approved ventures.

If approved, the original terms will be scrapped in favor of the new ones, subject to the developers posting a $100 million irrevocable letter of credit, among other stipulations.

Project Scope and Scale

The Atlantic Shores project, originally intended to span two phases, is set to rise between Atlantic City and Long Beach Island.

With a capacity of 2,800 megawatts, it’s projected to power up to 1 million homes.

Initially, the closest point of the project to the shore was pegged at 8.7 miles, but the company assures that the nearest turbines will actually be situated at least 12.8 miles out.

New Player on the Block

Attentive Energy, which already has the green light for a project 42 miles off Seaside Heights, is also in the mix with a second proposal. However, specifics on this new endeavor have not been disclosed yet.

Also See: Explaining Why New Jersey’s Beaches Have Been So Foggy Lately

The Mystery Bidder

While the identities of the third bidder and the exact nature of their project are currently unknown, the BPU plans to review all submissions and announce decisions by December.

Ongoing and Previous Projects

New Jersey’s offshore wind aspirations have seen mixed results. Two other projects previously secured preliminary state approval:

1. Leading Light Wind: A collaboration between Invenergy (Chicago) and energyRE (New York), set to rise 40 miles off Long Beach Island. This project envisions up to 100 turbines, enough to energize 1 million homes.
2. Attentive Energy’s Initial Project: A partnership between TotalEnergies (Paris) and Corio Generation (London), designed to power over 650,000 homes without any visible impact from the shore.

Challenges and Opposition

Despite New Jersey’s ambitions to become a hub for offshore wind on the East Coast, the journey has been rocky.

Last October, Danish giant Orsted pulled the plug on two advanced projects, citing financial impracticalities.

Adding to the turbulence, the state has become a hotbed for opposition. Numerous community groups and political figures argue that the industry is both environmentally detrimental and financially unsustainable. This came after many whales washed up on the New Jersey coast. Most feel that it’s the sonar equipment used that are confusing whales.

Yet, advocates counter that transitioning to wind and solar power is crucial for reducing reliance on fossil fuels and combating climate change.