The Atlantic Shores offshore wind project set for southern New Jersey said Oct. 1 it has gained federal approval to start construction of what would be a 2.6 GW, two-part project owned by Shell New Energies and EDF Renewables.
The award follows the state’s selection of 3.74 GW of new offshore wind to replace two projects totalling 2.25 GW scrapped last year by developer Orsted. Atlantic Shores CEO Joris Veldhoven said work is planned to start next year.
The project will be located between Atlantic City, N.J., and Long Beach Island about 8 to 12 miles offshore, with plans for up to 197 wind turbines and connections to the land-based grid.
The developer announced in late May it had hired New Jersey-based contractors J. Fletcher Creamer & Son and Jingoli Power to develop 12 miles of on-shore grid related infrastructure for the project.
The union contractor joint venture “will support field surveys, environmental sampling, robust subsurface utility engineering work, and site preparation for the duct bank installations that will house cables connecting offshore wind power to the New Jersey electric grid,” said CEO Joseph R. Jingoli. Atlantic Shores also announced June 25 its selection of Riggs Distler to manage work on the Cardiff substation expansion project for its first phase, along with Jingoli Power and Worley Engineering.
State Democratic congressional legislators Donald Norcross and Mikie Sherrill termed Atlantic Shores “critical infrastructure” in a statement to media, but Republican Jeff Van Drew said it would lead to higher electricity bills. N.J.-based opposition group Save Long Beach Island said Oct. 8 it will sue the developer related to claimed project impacts.
The 1.5-GW Atlantic Shores 1 unit has an offtake contract with the state from a previous solicitation several years ago, but the project was resubmitted in a new round this summer with higher power price terms believed to be included.
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities says it is set to make final selection on projects in December.
Meanwhile, the state utilities board approved on Sept. 25 a request by another selected project, the 2.4-GW Leading Light Wind, to pause it through Dec. 20 while its developers, Chicago-based Invenergy and New York City-based energyRE, seek a new manufacturer for its estimated 100 turbines. U.S.-based turbine giant GE Vernova changed project terms recently for the project and others, announcing that it would not produce the 18-MW turbines which had been specified.
The project, to be located about 40 miles off Long Beach Island, would begin construction by 2028 and be in operation by 2031.
The board order notes that discontinuing development of the project would “undermine the state ability to meet its clean energy goals and reap project "environmental and economic benefits” while granting the request would allow for development to proceed.
New Jersey has set a target of 11 GW of offshore wind power by 2040.
