The two proposals will add significantly to New Jersey’s ambition to generate 11GW of clean energy from offshore wind. Credit: fokke baarssen/Shutterstock.com.

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) has received applications from developers for the construction of two offshore wind farms.

The proposals contribute significantly to the state’s goal of generating 11GW of offshore wind energy by 2040.

The developers include Leading Light Wind, a partnership between developers Invenergy and energyRE, and Atlantic Shores, a 50:50 joint venture between Shell New Energies US and EDF-RE Offshore Development, which is a subsidiary of EDF Renewables North America.

Leading Light Wind proposes a 2.4GW offshore wind project 40 miles (64km) offshore the New York Bight.

The project will generate enough energy to power a million homes while offsetting four million tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.

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The developers also noted that the project can bring $3bn in economic benefits to the state of New Jersey, including offshore wind infrastructure and supply chain investments.

The proposal includes a 253MW energy storage system to support the state’s target of 2GW of storage.

Invenergy and energyRE plan to produce wind turbines and monopile foundations locally and develop an in-state operations and maintenance port.

Invenergy senior executive vice-president and construction business leader Bryan Schueler stated: “Leading Light Wind exemplifies Invenergy’s dedication to American-led energy innovation and our unmatched ability to increase US competitiveness in the offshore wind market.

“With strong partners in New Jersey, we are committed to delivering the benefits of the clean energy economy to Garden State residents for generations to come.” 

Atlantic Shores has also submitted a proposal to build another offshore wind project, the capacity details of which have not been disclosed.

If selected [for the project], Atlantic Shores states that it would supply renewable energy to “hundreds of thousands of New Jersey households”.

Atlantic Shores is already developing the Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Project 1, a 1.5GW wind farm to be located 10–20 miles (16–32km) off the New Jersey coast between Atlantic City and Barnegat Bay. The area includes the New York Bight.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management awarded acreage to the project in February 2023 and its construction is expected to begin in 2024.