New Jersey Approves Over 2.6 GW of Offshore Wind in Largest Combined Award to Date

On June 30, 2021, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) announced that it approved over 2.6 GW of offshore wind (OSW) in the state’s second OSW solicitation¹ in Docket No. QO20080555. The announcement stated:

In a unanimous vote, [NJBPU] awarded 1,510 MW of capacity to Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind and 1,148 MW to Ocean Wind II.

In addition to strong environmental and fisheries protection plans, each project has committed to investing in New Jersey’s burgeoning offshore wind industry by building new manufacturing facilities at the New Jersey Wind Port, utilizing the foundation manufacturing facility at the Port of Paulsboro, creating tens of thousands of jobs, and injecting billions of dollars in economic benefits into the State.

Combined, the two projects are estimated to create 7,000 full and or part time jobs across the development, construction and operational phases of the projects. This yields approximately 56,000 Full Time Equivalent job years, as some jobs will be shorter term and others will last for many years. They will also generate $3.5 billion in economic benefits and power 1.15 million homes with clean energy. As required by the solicitation, the project developers will also contribute $10,000 per MW to fund research initiatives and wildlife and fishery monitoring in the region – totaling $26 million that will be administered by NJBPU and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection through a robust stakeholder process.

Each project includes a commitment to build a nacelle assembly facility at the New Jersey Wind Port. The nacelle houses the components that convert the mechanical energy of the rotating blades into electrical energy, and is the highest value add offshore wind component. Atlantic Shores plans to partner with MHI Vestas for this facility while Ocean Wind will collaborate with GE. Both projects will utilize the foundation manufacturing facility at the Port of Paulsboro. Additional benefits to the region include a green hydrogen pilot facility from Atlantic Shores and a truck electrification pilot project at Port Newark from Ocean Wind.