The US Department of the Interior (DOI) has approved the Atlantic Shores South offshore wind project off the New Jersey coast. The project encompasses two wind facilities capable of generating up to 2,800 MW of electricity which is sufficient to power nearly one million homes with renewable energy.
The proposal for Atlantic Shores South included the installation of 200 wind turbine generators and up to ten offshore substations with subsea transmission cables. However, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) authorised the construction of 195 wind turbine generators.
Furthermore, this marks the ninth large-scale offshore wind project approved during the Biden administration, bringing the total approved offshore wind energy capacity to over 13 GW, enough to supply power to almost five million homes.
In May 2024, BOEM released the final Environmental Impact Statement for the project, assessing potential environmental effects and alternatives. BOEM has also announced plans for up to 12 additional lease sales through 2028, demonstrating a continued commitment to expanding offshore wind energy in the United States.
REGlobal’s Views: Significant efforts have been made to promote offshore wind projects and BOEM has held four offshore wind energy lease sales, including offshore New York, New Jersey, the Carolinas, and the first-ever sales offshore the Pacific and Gulf of Mexico coasts. Further, Department of the Interior announced that it would hold an offshore wind energy lease sale in the Central Atlantic in August 2024 which would be capable of generating 6.3 GW of renewables.
