"While the first wind turbines have yet to be built off the Jersey Shore coast, state leaders are already pushing for expansion.
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities on Wednesday approved the construction of two more offshore wind farms, dubbed Atlantic Shores and Ocean Wind II. The projects are expected to produce 2,658 megawatts of clean power by 2029. This follows the 2019 approval the state’s first offshore wind farm, Ocean Wind. That project, to be built by the Danish energy company Ørsted, will generate 1,100 megawatts of electricity when it becomes operational in 2024. Ocean Wind is currently seeking federal approval.
Wednesday’s approval is the single largest award of offshore wind capacity in the nation to date, and it more than triples the Garden State’s commitment to the budding industry. The state has locked in more than 3,700 megawatts of future power from offshore wind, enough to power roughly 1.5 million homes according to the BPU. The two projects are expected to create 7,000 new jobs, and bring $3.5 billion in benefits to New Jersey’s economy."
Michael Sol Warren reports for the Newark Star-Ledger June 30, 2021.
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