The U.S. Interior Department has given the green light to the proposed Atlantic Shores offshore wind farm in New Jersey, marking a significant development for what would be the state’s inaugural offshore wind project. The project is still contingent on an additional federal authorization for its construction and operations plan, in addition to two state-level permits, before commencing construction. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland underscored that this approval is the ninth offshore wind project sanctioned under the Biden administration, ushering in 13 gigawatts of electricity production, ample to supply energy to 5 million homes.
Secretary Haaland remarked on the momentum being built by the Biden-Harris administration towards a cleaner energy future. The Atlantic Shores project, spanning two phases, will be situated between Atlantic City and Long Beach Island in southern New Jersey, generating 2,800 megawatts of power, sufficient for 1 million homes. Atlantic Shores’ CEO, Joris Veldhoven, hailed this progress as a step closer to realizing New Jersey’s foremost offshore wind initiatives and meeting the state’s target of achieving 100% clean energy by 2035.
Despite the approval, opposition to offshore wind in New Jersey is robust, with groups like Protect Our Coast-NJ expressing concerns about the environmental impact and disruption to local communities. However, many environmental organizations in the state have lauded the approval of the Atlantic Shores project, viewing it as a positive shift towards renewable energy and away from fossil fuels. The Interior Department disclosed that the project’s closest turbines would be at least 12.8 miles from the shore, even though it would be approximately 8.7 miles away at its nearest point.
Atlantic Shores is a collaboration between Shell New Energies US LLC and EDF-RE Offshore Development LLC, with the Interior Department authorizing the construction of 195 wind turbines out of the 200 initially sought by the company. This approval comes after a setback in 2023 when a previous offshore wind project planned by Danish developer Orsted was shelved due to economic viability concerns. The decision to move forward with the Atlantic Shores project signals a resurgence of offshore wind in New Jersey.
