Photo by Rabih Shasha on Unsplash
Two Offshore Wind Farms Approved in New Jersey
January 25, 2024
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities has unanimously approved two bids to build wind energy farms off the state’s coast. This project renews Gov. Phil Murphy’s continued clean energy efforts for the state.
The wind farms will generate a total of 3.7 gigawatts, or enough to power about 1.8 million homes, reported The Asbury Park Press. The state board “approved offshore wind renewable energy certificates, or ORECs, to Leading Light Wind, a 2,400-megawatt project about 40 miles east of Atlantic City, and Attentive Energy Two, a 1,342-megawatt project 50 miles east of Barnegat Light.”
Together, the newly approved projects will generate 3,742 megawatts of electricity, helping to slash the state’s carbon emissions by one-third and reach Governor Phil Murphy’s goal of 100% clean energy by 2035.
The wind farm projects are also supposed to bring $6.8 billion in benefits to the state’s economy and produce thousands of jobs. Murphy said that the announcement marked “undeniable proof that the future of offshore wind in New Jersey is as strong as ever.”
“In spite of some setbacks, we’re on track. If anything, this solicitation award shows that we’re moving full steam ahead,” said BPU President Christine Guhl-Sadovy, as The New Jersey Monitor reported. “These two projects will help cement New Jersey’s position as an offshore wind leader and bring the clean energy and economic benefits to our state.”
For the residential customers these wind farms will serve, the total bill impact of the two projects will be $6.84 per month, according to Reuters, beginning only once these offshore wind facilities are operational and delivering clean electricity to the New Jersey grid, which is scheduled to start in 2031.
New Jersey has the technical potential to generate more than 280 TWh of electricity from offshore wind, more than enough to meet the state’s electricity demand. That amount of energy generated would be even if the Garden State electrified its buildings, transportation system, and industry, transitioning them to run on electricity instead of fossil fuels.
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