A group called Community Offshore Wind, which previously proposed an offshore wind farm in New Jersey but was not selected by state utility regulators, has submitted a new bid for a wind farm off the state’s southern coast. The proposed wind farm would have the capacity to generate 1.3 gigawatts of electricity, powering approximately 500,000 homes. The project site would be 37 miles off Barnegat Light on Long Beach Island, although the exact number of wind turbines has not been disclosed.
This new project is a collaboration between RWE from Essen, Germany, and National Grid based in New York. They had previously applied for a project in a similar area but were not chosen to proceed by the state Board of Public Utilities. According to company spokeswoman Molly Gilson, despite not being awarded a project in the previous solicitation, this new opportunity is seen as exciting.
If selected, construction on the project could commence in 2027 or 2028, with operations expected to begin by 2031. Community Offshore Wind is the latest of three bidders to publicly reveal itself following the bid deadline, joining other projects such as Attentive Energy off Seaside Heights and Atlantic Shores’ two-phase project off southern New Jersey.
New Jersey has ambitious goals to establish itself as a prominent hub for offshore wind energy on the East Coast. Despite support for wind and solar energy as essential in the fight against climate change, there is opposition, particularly in coastal communities where concerns have been raised over environmental impact and profitability.
Advocacy groups like Protect Our Coast NJ have voiced opposition to what they perceive as price fluctuations in bids and have vowed to work against any renegotiations, accusing companies of seeking greater financial gain. The state has already taken steps to support the offshore wind industry, including the establishment of a manufacturing facility for wind turbine components in southern New Jersey.
