Ørsted Set To Build New Jersey’s First Offshore Wind Farm

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Danish energy company and offshore wind giant Ørsted has been awarded the right to build New Jersey’s first offshore wind farm after the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities last Friday approved the development of the 1.1 gigawatt (GW) Ocean Wind offshore wind farm.

Set to be located off the coast of Atlantic City, the Ocean Wind offshore wind farm will be New Jersey’s first large-scale offshore wind farm. Subject to Ørsted making a final investment decision, the project would be completed and operational by 2024 and supply more than half a million New Jersey homes with electricity. Ocean Wind is also expected to create over 3,000 direct jobs annually through the development phase of the project, and its three-year construction cycle, and Ørsted is also looking to establish an operations and maintenance facility base in Atlantic City which would provide permanent and high-skilled jobs through the 25-year lifespan of the project.

“We’re delighted that New Jersey has chosen Ørsted to build the State’s first large-scale offshore wind farm,” said Martin Neubert, Executive Vice President and CEO of Ørsted Offshore. “Since Ørsted developed the world’s first offshore wind farm in 1991, we have pushed the industry forward to help turn offshore wind into a large-scale and cost-competitive source of clean energy. We look forward to delivering Ocean Wind which will be the first offshore wind farm in the US to cross the 1 GW mark and will contribute significantly to meeting Governor Murphy’s ambitious renewable energy goals.”

“Today’s announcement firmly establishes a fast-growing global industry in New Jersey, which will create jobs and supply chain in the state,” added Thomas Brostrøm, CEO of Ørsted US Offshore Wind and President of Ørsted North America. “Ocean Wind will ensure that the state and its residents not only benefit from clean, renewable power, but that they reap the rewards of being an early mover at scale in the offshore wind industry as it grows in the US.”

The right to build Ocean Wind brings Ørsted’s US offshore wind build-out portfolio up to a total capacity of around 2 GW expected to be built between 2022 and 2024. This includes Ocean Wind, as well as a the 120 megawatt (MW) Skipjack offshore wind farm set to be built off the coast of Maryland, the 704 MW Revolution Wind project which will deliver electricity to Rhode Island (400 MW) and Connecticut (304 MW), and the 130 MW South Fork project which will generate electricity for Long Island, New York.

“Today’s historic announcement will revolutionize the offshore wind industry here in New Jersey and along the entire East Coast,” said New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. “Building our offshore wind industry will create thousands of jobs, invite new investments into our state, and put us on a path to reaching our goal of 3,500 MW of offshore wind by 2030. This award is a monumental step in making New Jersey a global leader in offshore wind development and deployment.”

“Thanks to Governor Murphy’s leadership and his trust in the NJBPU to deliver upon the important promise of offshore wind, today we have taken another important step forward into our 100% clean energy future,” said Joseph L. Fiordaliso, President of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. “With today’s award of 1,100 MW of offshore wind, a safer, healthier future for New Jersey is looking brighter and closer than ever.”

Image: Ørsted


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Joshua S Hill

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