Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind recently submitted a proposal to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities for supply of 2,300 MW of offshore wind energy. The company is a 50-50 joint venture between EDF Renewables North America and Shell New Energies US LLC. The state of New Jersey seeks to award between 1,200 MW and 2,400 MW of offshore wind energy capacity as part of its second solicitation. Atlantic Shores estimates their first project would be completed as early as 2027.
The Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind was formed in December 2018 by EDF Renewables North America and Shell New Energies US LLC to co-develop a 183,353 acres lease area on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The lease area (OCS-0499) is located within the New Jersey Wind Energy Area about eight miles off the coast of Atlantic City. According to the company, the lease area holds the potential to produce approximately 2,500 MW of offshore wind energy.
As part of its bid, Atlantic Shores has engaged in several key partnerships for promoting the creation of offshore wind workforce and increasing awareness in New Jersey, to help prepare local workers for the hundreds of future jobs its project will create if selected. The industry expects a boom in the offshore wind industry post-covid and New Jersey has the potential to be a leader in the offshore wind space on the east coast of the United States.
Apart from offshore wind, Atlantic Shores aims to also focus on areas like battery storage and green hydrogen. The company has proposed an innovation plan it its bid to help the state of New Jersey meets its 2019 Energy Master Plan’s greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. Atlantic Shores will leverage the technical capabilities of its parent companies and collaborate with academic partners and companies in New Jersey to explore commercial pathways for battery storage. Further, it also plans to support the development of a 5 to 10 MW green hydrogen pilot project for supporting the decarbonization of large industrial sectors.