The disaster off of Nantucket hasn’t, it seems, dissuaded Washington or Trenton from pursuing offshore wind development.
On Tuesday, the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) says the Biden-Harris Administration has formally approved two new offshore wind projects off of the coast of the iconic Jersey Shore coast.
“On Oct. 1, 2024, BOEM announced its approval of the Atlantic Shores South Construction and Operations Plan (COP), which authorizes construction and operation of two wind energy facilities, Atlantic Shores South Project 1 and Atlantic Shores South Project 2. Together, these projects could have a total capacity of up to 2,800 megawatts of clean, renewable energy that BOEM estimates could power close to one million homes each year. The projects are approximately 8.7 miles offshore New Jersey at its closest point. To provide energy to New Jersey, the approved COP includes up to 197 total positions for wind turbine generators, offshore substations, and a meteorological tower, with subsea transmission cables making landfall in Atlantic City and Sea Girt, New Jersey.”
The first attempt didn’t end well. After substantial fanfare and taxpayer investment, foreign-owned Orsted abruptly cancelled its Ocean Wind development projects last October (2023) after failing to secure additional sought-after tax benefits.
New Jersey’s two Republican congressmen representing coastal counties have remained staunchly opposed to efforts to industrialize the state’s famous oceans.
“During this past summer, several beaches in Massachusetts were littered with large sharp fiberglass shards when a blade from a Vineyard Wind turbine failed disastrously,” said Rep. Chris Smith (R, NJ-04) who represents large portions of the Jersey Shore. “Just last week, the manufacturer of these blades announced they would be laying off as many as 900 workers citing industrywide challenges for offshore wind.”
“Here in New Jersey, another offshore wind project was forced to pause its project at least through December—and potentially longer—because the company in charge of the project could not secure a viable turbine blade manufacturer,” Smith added. “To add insult to injury, the approval of each new offshore wind project means higher electricity costs for New Jersey ratepayers. It’s long past time the Biden-Harris Administration and Governor Murphy come to their senses and stop propelling this train wreck in slow motion.”
