Credit: (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson, File)New Jersey’s first offshore wind farm is one major step closer to reality with the release of a critical federal study.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management last week released its Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Atlantic Shores South Wind Project. The company behind the development, Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind, is a joint venture between Shell and EDF Renewables.
Plans for Atlantic Shores South call for up to 200 wind turbines across a lease area that spans more than 100,000 acres and is less than nine miles from Long Beach Island at its closest point to shore. The transmission cables that will carry electricity generated by the turbines are planned to come onshore in Atlantic City and Sea Girt.
The environmental impact statement release is a major hurdle cleared for the project. Atlantic Shores South is expected to get its final approval from the federal bureau on July 1.
“Completing this environmental analysis is a significant milestone in the administration’s drive to realize clean energy ambitions that will enhance the lives of Americans now and for generations to come,” Elizabeth Klein, director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, said in a statement.
“We are encouraged to see forward progress and getting another step closer to delivering New Jersey’s first offshore wind projects,” Joris Veldhoven, the CEO of Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind, said in a statement. “We appreciate BOEM’s thorough environmental evaluation and recognize the significance of this milestone in reaching the Garden State’s goal of 100% clean energy by 2035.”
First NJ offshore wind farm
Atlantic Shores South is on pace to become New Jersey’s first offshore wind development, after Ørsted abruptly canceled its Ocean Wind project on Oct. 31. The Murphy administration on Tuesday announced it had reached a $125 million settlement with Ørsted to resolve all claims after the cancellation of Ocean Wind — less than half of the $300 million that the original agreement had called for if the Ocean Wind project fell through.
The Atlantic Shores South project still needs approvals from other federal and state agencies. Local approval will also be needed in places where cables carrying electricity generated offshore are planned to land onshore.
Bringing offshore wind online is a critical part of New Jersey’s efforts to transition to clean energy, in hopes of slashing the greenhouse gas emissions that fuel climate change. Gov. Phil Murphy has set a goal of having 11,000 megawatts of offshore wind power online by 2040. And offshore wind development is a key piece in President Joe Biden’s energy transition plans: His administration hopes to bring 30 gigawatts of offshore wind power online by 2030.
According to the BOEM environmental impact statement, building Atlantic Shores South will have major impacts on the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale population, but only moderate impacts on other marine mammal species.
“These two projects have the capacity to power over one million homes without polluting our air and further burdening our utility bills, all while bringing local jobs to our communities,” said Anjuli Ramos-Busot, the director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, said in a statement. “This is a massive step forward in our just transition to clean energy and we thank BOEM for their efforts to ensure the responsible and equitable build out of offshore wind in the state.”
Where major impacts are expected
The BOEM environmental impact statement found that building Atlantic Shores South will have major impacts on the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale population, but only moderate impacts on other marine mammal species. Anti-offshore wind groups have seized on recent whale deaths in New Jersey and New York as proof that wind development is harmful, though there is no scientific evidence to support those claims. Experts have noted that most whale necropsies have found ship strikes to be the cause of death.
The commercial and recreational fishing industries are expected to experience major impacts from the construction of Atlantic Shores South, according to the environmental impact statement. The BOEM study also found that Atlantic Shores South is expected to have major impacts on the views from nearby beaches, something that Shore town leaders and businesses have long worried will cause a drop in tourism.
Beyond those major impacts, the impact statement determines Atlantic Shores South will have moderate or minor impacts across a range of other sectors — including wildlife, air and water quality, aviation and vessel traffic.
The report does call on Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind to take steps to protect the interests of the local fishing industry.
Van Drew’s objection
Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-2nd), disagrees. A vehement opponent of offshore wind development, Van Drew said in a statement that BOEM is recklessly approving Atlantic Shores South with little regard for the impacts identified in its own report, or the anti-offshore wind sentiment found throughout Jersey Shore communities.
“Their report openly acknowledges major harm to our environment, national defense, fishing industry, supply chain, and tourism, yet they approved it anyways,” Van Drew said. “Governor Murphy and BOEM’s continued push for these projects, despite widespread opposition, shows their blatant disregard for New Jersey families in favor of lining the pockets of foreign wind companies.”
Van Drew is far from the only anti-offshore wind voice in New Jersey. Multiple lawsuits have been filed by opponents of wind development against Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind, hoping to derail the project’s progress. The most recent case was announced last week, as a collection of eight Shore towns — Beach Haven, Barnegat Light, Brigantine, Harvey Cedars, Long Beach Township, Ship Bottom, Surf City and Ventnor — filed an appeal of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s finding that the Atlantic Shores construction plan met all state requirements.
