EGN NEWS DESK
Federal regulators gave a enormous, contentious offshore wind venture the inexperienced gentle to start out building off the coast of New Jersey.
Owned by Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind, a 50–50 enterprise by Shell and EDF Renewables, the venture obtained approval of air permits from the Environmental Protection Agency and of building and operation permits from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on Tuesday.
The developer plans to put in a complete of about 200 wind generators in federally owned waters between 10 and 20 miles off the Jersey shore. It’s additionally working with utilities to construct a number of offshore substations and two undersea transmission traces that may join the venture to the grid close to Atlantic City and farther north in Monmouth County, New Jersey.
Construction on part one of many just lately accepted venture, referred to as Atlantic Shores South, is ready to start in 2025, and it might begin sending energy to the grid in 2028 or 2029, based on the developer. The second part of the venture was additionally accepted, however there is no such thing as a timeline for its building but.
If accomplished as deliberate, the venture’s two phases will be capable to ship a complete of 2.8 gigawatts of electrical energy to the grid, making it one of many largest clear vitality tasks in America. It can even be the primary offshore wind array for New Jersey, a state banking on the facility supply with a purpose to hit its clear vitality targets.
Many East Coast states have restricted land for wind and photo voltaic installations, so offshore wind is a horny pathway for them to decarbonize. Its significance has been acknowledged at a federal stage too: The Biden administration goals for the U.S. to construct 30 gigawatts offshore wind capability by 2030.
But the sector has hit a tough patch in recent times, and solely about one-quarter of a gigawatt of offshore wind is put in at present.
Projects up and down the East Coast have been canceled or delayed, largely due to inflation, excessive rates of interest, and slow-moving provide chains — all components that contributed to the cancellation of a pair of New Jersey tasks, owned by Danish vitality big Ørsted, final 12 months. Offshore wind tasks are additionally susceptible to delays given the intensive allowing course of that spans numerous federal and state businesses. And even after tasks clear the regulatory hurdles, lawsuits from opponents can nonetheless decelerate or cease developments.
