US Department of Energy’s grant for the development of an offshore wind farm off New Jersey’s coast was celebrated yesterday on Steel Pier in Atlantic City.
In May, Fishermen’s Energy Atlantic City Windfarm (FACW) project was selected by the US Department of Energy (DOE) as one of three projects that will receive up to $46.7 million of funding over four years to accelerate the commercialization of innovative offshore wind technologies in the United States.
Even though the project was rejected by the NJ Board of Public Utilities (BPU), the developer sees the DOE decision as a motivation to the BPU to change its mind. “Fishermen’s is confident that the NJ Board of Public Utilities will recognize the vetting by the DOE of the project, and will now engage with Fishermen’s to finalize our OREC application so the project can proceed expeditiously,” Chris Wissemann, CEO of Fishermen’s Energy , stated in May.
Yesterday’s celebration was attended by several local and state officials, U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, D-N.J., Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian, state Senator Jim Whelan and Assemblyman Vince Mazzeo.
“The Fishermen’s Energy Atlantic City wind farm has the potential to become the first wind project in the United States. And that could potentially make Atlantic City the birthplace of offshore wind in America,” Press of Atlantic City quotes Sen. Menendez as saying.
Construction in Atlantic City is planned to start onshore in 2015 with offshore construction and commissioning scheduled for 2016.
The offshore wind farm will comprise five 5 MW wind turbines, 2.8 miles off the coast in a 12-meter water depth.