ATLANTIC CITY – Governor Phil Murphy announced that the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJDEA) signed a letter of intent with Ørsted Offshore North America for Ocean Wind 1. The April 29 development signals the final steps in launching the groundbreaking project.
Ørsted, a Danish-based multi-national corporation, will lease access to the New Jersey Wind Port in Salem County. The Wind Port is designed to serve as a staging ground for multiple offshore wind projects in the region in the coming decades. In constructing Ocean Wind 1, Ørsted is partnering with PSEG, the state’s largest owner and operator of transmission assets. The two companies will submit binding agreements to the NJDEA by June 2022.
The lease is intended to commence in April 2024 and continue for a maximum of two years. Subsequent lease renewals are possible under this agreement and will depend on the timeline of construction for offshore project components.
Governor Murphy has championed this project from the moment the initial plans were announced by the New Jersey Public Utilities Board in June 2019. In his April 29 announcement, Murphy heralded this latest step forward: “As a state, we’ve committed over $500 million to build the essential infrastructure required to install offshore wind projects from our shores. Today’s announcement with Ørsted is proof that our strategy to establish New Jersey as a national leader in offshore wind is working.”
Although the Murphy Administration, Ørsted and PSEG are moving forward with finalizing plans, not all local stakeholders are as pleased. In an April 25 Ocean City candidate forum, individuals in every race expressed serious reservations about the planned project and how it would impact the city.
The wind farm is currently slated to be built roughly 15 miles off the coast of Ocean City. Cables will also be buried beneath the island on which Ocean City is built. Residents have been actively fighting the plans as they currently stand, with some seeking a rerouting of the cables and others pursuing financial benefits for the city.
The Ocean Wind 1 project is intended to be the first of several, all part of New Jersey’s plan to utilize 100% clean energy by 2050.
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