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Ocean Wind

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Coordinates: 39°02′17″N 74°21′07″W / 39.038°N 74.352°W / 39.038; -74.352
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Ocean Wind
Map
CountryUnited States
LocationNJWEA South Leasing Area[1]
Outer Continental Shelf
Offshore New Jersey
Coordinates39°02′17″N 74°21′07″W / 39.038°N 74.352°W / 39.038; -74.352
StatusCanceled
Owner(s)Ørsted US Offshore Wind
Wind farm
Typeoffshore
Distance from shore15 miles (24 km)
Rotor diameter220 metres (720 ft)
Power generation
Make and modelHaliade-X 12 MW
Nameplate capacity1,100 MW (phase 1)
1,148 MW (phase 2)
External links
WebsiteOcean Wind
[edit on Wikidata]

Ocean Wind was a proposed utility-scale 2,248 MW offshore wind farm to be located on the Outer Continental Shelf approximately 15 miles (24 km) off the coast of Atlantic City, New Jersey. It was being developed by Ørsted US Offshore Wind in conjunction with Public Service Enterprise Group (PSE&G). Construction (in two phases of 1,100 MW and 1,148 MW) and commissioning were planned for the mid-2020s.[2] The closed Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station and B.L. England Generating Station would provide transmission points for energy generated by the wind farm.[3][4][5][6][7]

Ocean Wind 1 received federal approval for construction and operations on July 5, 2023, the third large-scale project to do so.

Ørsted canceled both projects on October 31, 2023, due to poor financial outlook caused by inflation and supply chain disruptions, including unavailability of a wind turbine installation vessel.[8][9][10][11]

History and background

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In the United States, federal waters commence 3 nautical miles offshore.[12] The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management awarded leases for offshore wind sites in 2015.[13] NJWEA South is offshore Atlantic County and Cape May County, where the ocean floor is 100 ft (30 m) deep.[14] The rights were later acquired by DONG Energy, which became Ørsted, parent of Ørsted US Offshore Wind. The company was selected by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) in June 2019.[4][15] PSE&G later joined the project.[16][17]

There is only one other utility-scale wind farm in the state, the 5-turbine Jersey-Atlantic Wind Farm. Two other projects which would provide wind power to New Jersey are Garden State Offshore Energy, Offshore Delaware in WEA OC-A 482 North opposite Rehoboth Beach, also by Ørsted US Offshore Wind,[18][19][20][21][2] and Atlantic Shores Wind Farm in Offshore New Jersey WEA OCS-A 0499 -183,353 acres (74,200 ha)- off the coast of Jersey Shore (mostly opposite Ocean County from Atlantic City north to Barnegat Light) by EDF Renewables/Shell.[22][23][24] Another potential WEA is Offshore New Jersey/New York on the west/south side of Hudson Canyon 21 miles offshore opposite Monmouth County.[25]

In September 2020, New Jersey officials delayed the project citing concerns about economic benefits of offshore wind, including construction of monopoles and negative effects on the fishing industry.[26][27]

In December 2020, Ørsted put in a bid for Ocean Wind 2, a second installation of wind turbines in the same area,[28] which the NJBPU selected in June 2021. It would be an additional 1,148 MW, for a total energy capacity at the site of 2,248 MW.[29]

Ørsted had promised $300 million in guarantees that the project would be built but subsequently claimed they would not have to be paid after cancelling the projects in October 2023. The State of New Jersey settled in May 2024 for a payment of $125 million to support investments in offshore wind and clean energy.[30]

Design, construction and staging

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Turbines

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Haliade-X 12 MW wind turbines produced by GE Wind Energy will be used. The structures are 853 feet (260 m) tall with a rotor blade diameter of 722 feet (220 m).[31][32] As many as 99 will be constructed.[33] As of 2019, they had the highest capacity of turbines being produced.[14][34]

On-shore staging center

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Further information: Offshore wind port

Ørsted U.S. Offshore Wind is also partnering with Tradepoint Atlantic, based in Port of Baltimore, to create a 50-acre staging center for on-land assembly, storage and loading out into deep waters for projects along the East Coast.[35]

The Port of Paulsboro could become the site for the production the monopile foundations for the turbines.[36] Construction of the New Jersey Wind Port began in September 2021.[37][38]

On-shore interconnection

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In September 2019, Ocean Wind, with the approval of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, secured the capacity interconnection rights to bring the power generated by the wind farm on-shore at Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station in Lacey Township, a 619-megawatt nuclear power plant which was shut down in September 2018. It can use the existing power infrastructure of the plant, after some upgrades, to connect to the regional transmission grid.[39][40][7]

On February 2, 2022, Ørsted filed a petition to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities to build a power cable connecting the offshore substations to the mainland through Ocean City.[41] On September 28, the NJBPA approved the construction of the cable through the city's wetlands. The project received approval on February 23, 2023 for constructing the cable under local roads in Ocean City, stating that the project would not cause harm to the city.[42][41] On July 5, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management provided the final step of approval for Ocean Wind 1, a project of 98 turbines and three electric substations, to produce 1,100 megawatts of electricity. The project was the third offshore wind project approved by the Joe Biden presidential administration.[43][44]

In February 2023, Ocean Wind 1 received approval to connect the offshore wind farm to the site of the former B.L. England Generating Station in Upper Township, via an underground cable and an onshore connection in Ocean City.[42]

Impact on marine life and fisheries

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The wind farm would be built in prime fishing areas. Its impact on fisheries industry remains unclear, though there are some concerns and recommendations.[45] Some have asked for a 5-year moratorium on construction until impact on fishing industry is further studied.[26] New Jersey's Research and Monitoring Initiative provides $26 million, funded by the Ocean Wind and Atlantic Shores wind projects, to study the impacts of offshore wind on sea life and fisheries.[46] In January 2023, the deputy chief for the National Marine Fisheries Service, Benjamin Laws, stated "I want to be unambiguous: There is no information supporting that any of the equipment used in support of offshore wind development could directly lead to the death of a whale... There are no known connections between any offshore wind activities and any whale strandings."[42] Several of the whale deaths were attributed to boat strikes.[43]

Opposition

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On November 11, 2022, the government of Ocean City appealed to the New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division, against the NJBPA approval of the power cable's construction through the city.[42] In February 2023, two Republican congressmen from New Jersey proposed legislation to halt all current and future offshore wind projects.[42] In June 2023, Cape May County officials hired two law firms to oppose the project in court, which have connections to national groups opposing climate-related projects.[44][47] Also in June 2023, Atlantic County officials passed a resolution seeking to delay the project.[48]

Local residents several groups in opposition to the project, including Save Long Beach Island, Defend Brigantine Beach, and Protect Our Coast NJ, which opposed the project in state court.[49]

The state has used legislation to bypass local resistance to granting permits.[50]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ UNITED STATESDEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT COMMERCIAL LEASE OF SUBMERGED LANDS FORRENEWABLE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT ON THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF OCS-A 0498
  2. ^ a b Robers, Carson (June 21, 2019). "New Jersey Awards its First Offshore Wind Renewable Energy Certificates Solicitation to Ørsted's 1,100 MW Ocean Wind Project (press release)". Power Advisory LLC.
  3. ^ Ramirez, Vanessa Bates (June 28, 2019). "The Biggest Offshore Wind Project in the US Is Underway". Singularity Hub.
  4. ^ a b Warren, Michael Sol (June 21, 2019). "N.J. just gave the green light to build the nation's largest offshore wind farm". NJ.com.
  5. ^ Stromsta, Karl-Erik (June 21, 2019). "Orsted Wins New Jersey's First Offshore Wind Solicitation". Greentech Media.
  6. ^ "Offshore Wind farms in The United States". 4C Offshore. 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  7. ^ a b Johnson, Tom (September 16, 2019). "Ørsted OK'd to Bring Offshore Wind Power Ashore at Oyster Creek". NJ Spotlight. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
  8. ^ Reed, Stanley (2023-11-01). "Offshore Wind Firm Cancels N.J. Projects, as Industry's Prospects Dim". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-11-01.
  9. ^ Bergeron, Tom (2023-11-02). "About that $300M Ørsted 'owes' the state — and just who controls Ørsted lease areas". ROI-NJ. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
  10. ^ Bergeron, Tom (2023-11-01). "Ørsted pulls out of Jersey: A Q&A of what happened and why — and what happens going forward". ROI-NJ. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
  11. ^ Disavino, Scott (2023-11-03). "Ship shortage dealt death blow to Orsted's NJ offshore wind hopes". Reuters. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
  12. ^ "Offshore Wind". State of New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. January 8, 2020.
  13. ^ Milo, Paul (November 9, 2015). "Feds award leases for offshore wind farms in S. Jersey". NJ.com. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
  14. ^ a b Eichmann, Mark (October 2, 2019). "Skyscrapers in the sea: Massive wind turbines planned off Delaware coast". WHYY-TV.
  15. ^ Willis, David P. (June 21, 2019). "NJ OKs biggest US wind farm off Jersey Shore; will power 500K homes". Asbury Park Press.
  16. ^ "PSEG plans to acquire 25% of 1.1-GW Ocean Wind offshore project (press release)". Windpower Engineering & Development. October 30, 2019.
  17. ^ "PSEG Looks to Become Active Player in Offshore Wind Development". NJ Spotlight. October 30, 2019.
  18. ^ "Garden State Offshore Energy Wind Farm". 4C Offshore. 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  19. ^ "New Jersey". Garden State Wind Energy.
  20. ^ "Garden State Offshore Energy Wins Bid for Offshore Wind Farm". Renewable Energy World. October 6, 2008. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  21. ^ "New Jersey". US Offshore Wind Collaborative. July 2010.
  22. ^ US Wind Inc (December 20, 2018). "US Wind Inc. Agrees to Sell its New Jersey Offshore Lease to EDF Renewables North America (press release)". www.prnewswire.com.
  23. ^ "Shell, EDF Acquire US Wind's New Jersey Lease Area". Offshore Wind. December 20, 2018.
  24. ^ "Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Partners with Rutgers University to Study New Jersey Ocean Environment (press release)". EDF Renewables. June 6, 2019.
  25. ^ "New York State Area for Consideration for the Potential Locating of Offshore Wind Area". NYSERDA. September 2017. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  26. ^ a b "Lawmakers Among Doubters of NJ Offshore Wind Plans". NJ Spotlight News. 2020-09-14. Retrieved 2020-10-17.
  27. ^ "NJ Opens Window for More Offshore-Wind Projects". NJ Spotlight News. 2020-09-10. Retrieved 2020-10-17.
  28. ^ "Ørsted joins race for offshore wind capacity in New Jersey". Renewablesnow.com. Retrieved 2022-03-04.
  29. ^ Ørsted. "New Jersey Selects Ørsted's Ocean Wind 2 as Part of the State's Second Offshore Wind Solicitation". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2022-03-04.
  30. ^ Fazelpoor, Matthew (2024-05-28). "NJ reaches $125M settlement with Ørsted (updated)". NJBIZ. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
  31. ^ Gheorghiu, Iulia (September 23, 2019). "Orsted taps GE for 50% more efficient turbines in New Jersey, Maryland offshore wind projects". Utility Dive.
  32. ^ "Ørsted to Use GE Haliade-X 12 MW on US Offshore Wind Farms". Offshore Wind. September 19, 2019.
  33. ^ "Giant turbines will generate power at New Jersey's first offshore wind farm". NJ Spotlight.
  34. ^ "NJ's first offshore wind farm going big". 7 January 2021.
  35. ^ Gheorghiu, Iulia (July 24, 2019). "Ørsted to develop offshore wind manufacturing hub to service East Coast". Utility Dive.
  36. ^ Stromsta, Karl-Erik (July 3, 2019). "Orsted and Germany's EEW Plan Offshore Wind Factory in New Jersey". www.greentechmedia.com. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
  37. ^ Ltd, Renews (10 September 2021). "New Jersey builders break ground on offshore wind port". reNEWS - Renewable Energy News. Archived from the original on 10 September 2021.
  38. ^ Lewis, Andrew S. (November 30, 2022). "NJ's massive wind port is taking shape. Here's how". NJ Spotlight News. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  39. ^ "Exelon to shut NJ Oyster Creek reactor in 2019". Reuters. December 9, 2010. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
  40. ^ Davis, Mike (September 17, 2018). "Oyster Creek shut down: Lacey nuclear power plant, oldest in US, closed after 49 years". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved September 30, 2018.
  41. ^ a b Order on Motion to Settle the Record (PDF) (Report). New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. May 24, 2023. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  42. ^ a b c d e Wayne Parry (February 17, 2023). "NJ uses new law to bypass local OK for offshore wind project". Associated Press. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  43. ^ a b Ella Nilsen (July 6, 2023). "Largest offshore wind farm to-date in US approved by Biden administration off the coast of New Jersey". CNN. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  44. ^ a b Kate Selig (July 5, 2023). "Biden approves largest wind project yet off U.S. shores". Washington Post.
  45. ^ Moore, Kirk (August 27, 2019). "Ørsted pitches its Ocean Wind project". National Fisherman.
  46. ^ "NJDEP| Offshore Wind | Research and Monitoring Initiative (RMI)". Offshore Wind. Retrieved 2023-04-03.
  47. ^ Kate Aronoff (June 28, 2023). "New Jersey County Drafts Right-Wing Legal Movement Into Anti-Wind Fight". The New Republic. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  48. ^ Michelle Brunetti (June 20, 2023). "Atlantic County commissioners seek offshore wind delay, not moratorium". Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  49. ^ Wayne Parry (June 19, 2023). "Offshore wind foes in New Jersey gathering force legally and politically". ABC News. Associated Press. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  50. ^ "NJ uses new law to bypass local OK for offshore wind transmission project". POWERGRID. Associated Press. February 21, 2023. Retrieved July 22, 2023.
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