BOEM Advances New Jersey’s First Offshore Wind Farm, Ocean Wind 1

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has announced the release of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the proposed Ocean Wind 1 wind energy project offshore New Jersey,

The DEIS analyzes the potential environmental impacts of constructing and operating the offshore wind farm. The DEIS is the first published by the Biden Administration for an offshore wind energy project.

The Notice of Availability for the DEIS will be publishing in the Federal Register on June 24, opening a 45-day public comment period, during which BOEM will conduct three virtual public meetings and accept comments on the DEIS. All input received used to inform the preparation of the Final EIS.

“BOEM remains committed to an environmental review process that establishes a strong foundation for offshore wind projects in the U.S. while promoting ocean co-use and avoiding or reducing potential conflicts,” said BOEM Director Amanda Lefton. “The feedback provided by ocean users and our many stakeholders will help inform the Final EIS and provide invaluable insight to decision makers.”

The Ocean Wind 1 project is being developed by Ørsted (75%) and PSEG (25%) and could become the first offshore wind project in New Jersey. The Construction and Operations Plan (COP) proposes to construct up to 98 wind turbines generators (WTGs) and up to three offshore substations within the lease area, located 15 statute miles southeast of Atlantic City, New Jersey, with export cables making landfall in Ocean County and Cape May County, New Jersey. If all 98 WTGs are approved for installation, the estimated capacity range will be from 1,215 to 1,440 megawatts, capable of powering up to 504,000 homes per year.

First power from the project is planned for late 2024.

The Ocean Wind 1 project is being developed by Ørsted (75%) and PSEG (25%) and could become the first offshore wind project in New Jersey. First power from the project is planned for late 2024.

BOEM will use the findings of the EIS to inform its decision on whether to approve Ocean Wind’s proposed project.

Over the past year, the Biden-Harris administration and the Interior Department approved the groundbreaking of the nation’s first two commercial-scale offshore wind projects in federal waters. The Department also announced plans to potentially hold up to seven new offshore lease sales by 2025, including the record-breaking New York Bight auction and Carolina Long Bay auction held earlier this year. BOEM also expects to complete the review of at least 16 plans to construct and operate commercial offshore wind energy facilities by 2025, which would represent more than 22 GW of clean energy for the nation.

This is all Biden-Harris administration’s goal of deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030.

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