As part of President Obama’s comprehensive Climate Action Plan to create American jobs, develop domestic clean energy resources and cut carbon pollution, Sally Jewell, US secretary of the Interior and Abigail Ross Hopper, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) director, announced that 343,833 acres offshore New Jersey will be offered for commercial wind energy development in a competitive lease sale on 9 November 2015.
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| Image: map of New Jersey wind energy development area/BOEM |
If fully developed, the New Jersey Wind Energy Area could support at least 3400 megawatts (MW) of commercial wind generation, enough to power an estimated 1.2 million homes, according to the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
“On the heels of this summer’s historic ‘steel-in-the-water’ milestone for the nation’s first commercial offshore wind farm, today’s announcement marks another major step in standing up a sustainable offshore wind program for Atlantic coast communities,” Jewell said. “This effort took significant engagement and cooperation with New Jersey and other stakeholders to advance clean energy development and reduce potential use conflicts, which moves us closer to harnessing the enormous potential of wind energy along the Atlantic coast.”
BOEM has awarded nine commercial offshore wind leases, including seven through the competitive lease sale process (two in an area offshore Rhode Island-Massachusetts, another two offshore Massachusetts, two offshore Maryland and one offshore Virginia). These lease sales have generated about US$14.5 million in winning bids for more than 700,000 acres in federal waters.
In July, Jewell and Director Hopper joined Rhode Island officials to celebrate the start of construction on Deepwater Wind’s $225 million, 30-MW offshore wind project. The facility, which will provide electricity to Block Island and Rhode Island mainland consumers, required Interior Department approval because part of its submerged transmission cable crosses federal waters.
“We are pleased to see sustained commercial interest in offshore wind development,” said Hopper. “We will continue to work closely with members of the New Jersey Renewable Energy Task Force to ensure that our intergovernmental partners remain informed on the next steps proposed by the winners of this auction.”
To date, BOEM has determined that the following energy development companies are legally, technically and financially qualified to participate in the upcoming New Jersey lease sale:
The New Jersey Wind Energy Area starts about seven nautical miles from shore.
Under the terms of the Final Sale Notice, which will be published in the Federal Register on September 25, the New Jersey Wind Energy Area will be auctioned as two leases. Lease OCS-A 0498 (South Lease Area) consists of 160,480 acres; and Lease OCS-A 0499 (North Lease Area) consists of 183,353 acres.
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