Ocean Wind

Ocean Wind
Name	Ocean Wind
Type	Offshore wind farm project
Status	Cancelled (2023)
Location	Offshore New Jersey, United States
Owner	Equinor (majority), Public Service Enterprise Group
Planned capacity	1,100 MW
Planned turbines	98
Planned construction	2023–2024 (original)
Canceled	2023

Ocean Wind

Ocean Wind was a proposed offshore wind farm planned off the coast of New Jersey, United States. The project aimed to deliver large-scale renewable electricity to serve New Jersey energy demand and support state climate goals. It involved multiple energy companies, federal and state agencies, and community stakeholders in a complex regulatory, environmental, and commercial process.

Overview

Ocean Wind was a partnership primarily between Equinor and Public Service Enterprise Group, designed to generate approximately 1,100 megawatts of power from roughly 98 offshore turbines sited in the Atlantic Ocean near Atlantic City, New Jersey. The proposal tied into policy initiatives by the State of New Jersey and the Biden administration’s broader push for offshore wind development in the United States Department of Energy portfolio. Key federal regulators included the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, while state regulators included the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

History and Development

The Ocean Wind concept emerged in the 2010s during a wave of offshore leasing that followed high-profile projects in United Kingdom and Denmark. Early milestones included lease awards under the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's Atlantic leasing program and commercial agreements with utilities regulated by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. Equinor, formerly Statoil, brought experience from projects such as Hywind and partnerships with BP and other European developers. The project navigated environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act and permitting processes involving the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service. Public Service Enterprise Group sought state-level approvals and rate arrangements influenced by precedents from projects like Block Island Wind Farm and procurement models used in Massachusetts.

Project Description and Technical Specifications

Ocean Wind was designed to use large-scale, fixed-bottom offshore wind turbines, initially proposed with models comparable to those used in Hornsea Project and Dogger Bank developments. The array layout planned for export cables to make landfall near Little Egg Harbor Township with onshore transmission ties into PSE&G and Atlantic City Electric distribution systems. Technical components included turbine foundations, inter-array cabling, high-voltage export cables, offshore substations, and operations and maintenance facilities similar to infrastructure at Galloper Wind Farm and Walney Wind Farm. Projected capacity factors referenced data from the United States National Renewable Energy Laboratory and European offshore operations. Construction timelines anticipated staged installation of monopiles or jacket foundations, turbine assembly by heavy-lift vessels akin to those used on Gwynt y Môr and grid commissioning coordinated with PJM Interconnection reliability standards.

Environmental and Ecological Impacts

Environmental analyses addressed potential impacts on Monomoy, Cape May National Wildlife Refuge, migratory pathways, and fisheries resources including species managed by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. Concerns included effects on marine mammals monitored by the Marine Mammal Commission, seabird collision risks assessed against research from Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, and benthic habitat disruption noted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Mitigation proposals referenced seasonal construction windows, pile-driving noise attenuation technologies used in Beatrice Offshore Wind Farm, and habitat restoration precedents from New Jersey Pinelands initiatives. Opponents cited potential interference with commercial fisheries represented by organizations such as the New Jersey Seafood Council and legal review engaged the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in related cases.

Economic and Regulatory Aspects

Economically, Ocean Wind proposed jobs and supply-chain investment similar to impacts projected in analyses by the Brookings Institution and National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Ratepayer impacts and contract structures invoked regulatory scrutiny involving the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities and state statutes enabling renewable energy procurement. Financing and offtake arrangements were compared to instruments used by Ørsted and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy for offshore projects in Europe. Project cancellation decisions were influenced by market dynamics, litigation, and interactions with federal programs administered by the Department of Transportation and tax policies involving the Internal Revenue Service production tax credit and investment tax credit frameworks.

Community Engagement and Controversies

Community engagement included public hearings in Galloway Township, stakeholder meetings with coastal municipalities like Long Beach Township and outreach to tribal entities such as The Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape. Controversies centered on visual impact debates resonant with discussions near Block Island and coastal recreation interests in Ocean City, New Jersey, as well as litigation from commercial fishing groups and municipal challenges invoking state permitting authority. Environmental justice advocates from organizations like Sierra Club and Environmental Defense Fund weighed in alongside local business associations and labor unions, producing a multifaceted public discourse.

Future Prospects and Expansion Plans

Following cancellation, discussions about offshore wind in the region continued through successor proposals and federal leasing rounds managed by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and policy actions by the White House National Climate Advisor. Lessons from Ocean Wind informed planning for floating wind demonstrations akin to Hywind Scotland and future fixed-bottom arrays under the Inflation Reduction Act incentives. State-level renewable energy goals set by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities and regional grid planning by PJM Interconnection will shape prospects for new projects, supply-chain investments, and workforce development modeled on European offshore clusters in Rotterdam and Aberdeen.

Category:Offshore wind farms in the United States