BOEM Kicks Off Environmental Review of Proposed 157-Turbine Wind Project Offshore New Jersey

March 18, 2024, by Adnan Memija

The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has revealed that it will initiate the environmental review of a proposed wind project offshore New Jersey, the US, known as Atlantic Shores North, that would feature up to 157 wind turbines.

BOEM published a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Construction and Operations Plan (COP) submitted by Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind, a 50:50 partnership between Shell New Energies and EDF Renewables.

At its closest point, the approximately 81,129-acre lease area, OCS-A 0549, known as Atlantic Shores North, is located 8.4 miles from the New Jersey coast and approximately 60 miles from New York.

The proposal currently includes the installation of up to 157 wind turbines, eight offshore substations, one permanent meteorological tower, and two temporary metocean buoys – for a total of up to 168 offshore structures.

The COP also proposes two potential export cable corridors that would make landfall in Sea Girt, New Jersey, and either the New York City area or near Asbury Park, New Jersey.

This is the 12th offshore wind energy COP environmental review initiated under the Bidden-Harris administration, BOEM said.

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Shell and EDF Renewables jointly hold leases for three offshore wind areas, which are under active development. Two of the areas are located approximately 10-20 miles (16 to 32 kilometres) off the coast of New Jersey, between Atlantic City and Barnegat Light, and one in the New York Bight.

The lease block OCS-A 0499 off New Jersey, which was first secured by US Wind in 2015/2016 and acquired by EDF Renewables Development in 2018, was split into two areas in 2021.

The southern part of the block contains the 1,510 MW Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Project 1 and the 1,327 MW Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Project 2, while the northern part of the block was given a new lease number, OCS-A 0549. Aside from the two lease areas, the joint venture also holds lease rights for OCS-A 0541, which it won in the New York Bight auction in 2022.