A photo of turbines at the South Fork Wind offshore wind farm, the first commercial-scale offshore wind farm in the United States. Photo courtesy Ørsted
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has suspended permits for the Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Project off New Jersey’s coast following a January 2025 Presidential directive that ordered an immediate halt to offshore wind development.
The Environmental Appeals Board (EAB) granted EPA Region 2’s request to remand permits for the project, which had previously received approval to construct up to 200 wind turbines capable of generating 2,800 megawatts of power – enough electricity to power one million homes.
The suspension comes amid broader industry challenges, including Shell’s recent withdrawal from the project with a $996 million impairment and the cancellation of New Jersey’s fourth offshore wind solicitation.
“The Presidential Memorandum directs an immediate review of Federal wind leasing and permitting practices and provides that heads of various executive department agencies shall not issue new or renewed approvals for offshore wind projects pending completion of a comprehensive assessment,” the Board stated.
The project, located 8.7 miles from the New Jersey shoreline near Atlantic City, cannot proceed with construction or operation until after the federal review process concludes. The scope of the review will examine “impacts on birds, wildlife, fishing, and other relevant environmental concerns”.
Atlantic Shores, part of EDF Renewables, expressed disappointment with the EPA’s decision. “Regulatory certainty is critical to deploying major energy projects. Atlantic Shores stands ready to deliver on the promise of American energy dominance and has devoted extensive time and resources to follow a complex, multi-year permitting process,” the developer said.
The setback threatens New Jersey’s ambitious clean energy goals, which target 11 gigawatts of offshore wind electricity by 2040 – planned to represent 30% of East Coast wind energy production.
President Trump recently expressed hope that the wind farm would be “dead and gone” in a post on Truth Social, working with New Jersey Congressman Jeff Van Drew to draft industry-targeting executive orders.
Despite these challenges, Atlantic Shores maintains its commitment to the project. “While we can’t comment on the views of shareholders, Atlantic Shores intends to continue progressing New Jersey’s first offshore wind project and our portfolio in compliance with our obligations to local, state and federal partners under existing leases and relevant permits,” the company stated.
The original timeline targeted project completion by 2027, with plans to provide 1.5 GW of offshore wind energy to New Jersey – enough to power over 700,000 homes. However, this schedule now faces significant uncertainty as the industry navigates new regulatory challenges under the Trump administration.
Join the gCaptain Club for curated content, insider opinions, and vibrant community discussions.
Join the 108,897 members that receive our newsletter.
Have a news tip? Let us know.
Equinor and its partners have discovered gas and condensate in the Mistral Sør exploration well in the Norwegian Sea’s Halten area, marking another significant find in the region’s growing energy...
The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) has approved Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) documents for a groundbreaking deep water floating offshore wind platform created by US-based ECO TLP, Inc. and MOCEAN-Offshore...
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 26 (Reuters) – A ship that will hunt for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 has deployed to its Indian Ocean search zone, according to Malaysia’s transport minister and ship tracking data, raising hopes of...
Maritime and offshore news trusted by our 108,897 members delivered daily straight to your inbox.
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.
Sign Up
Join The Club
