Developments in Offshore Wind Energy Projects in New Jersey
In New Jersey, two important offshore wind energy projects are progressing significantly. One project’s owners have promised to involve the federal government earlier than ever before in their plans for environmental monitoring. Federal regulators have also stated that plans for a different project are not anticipated to significantly impact marine life.
A ground-breaking five-year agreement with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has been announced by Community Offshore Wind, a joint venture between RWE, based in Essen, Germany, and National Grid Ventures, based in New York. This partnership intends to make the sharing of information and knowledge on environmental monitoring for offshore wind projects easier.
This agreement might potentially establish a new industry norm by bringing the federal agency into the planning phase sooner than is typical in the offshore wind business. Doug Perkins, the firm president, claims that this alliance will guarantee the effectiveness and coordination of data collection initiatives.
The Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s director, Jon Hare, has praised this potential collaboration as a major advancement. In addition to highlighting the benefits of effective scientific monitoring for both parties, he emphasized the agency’s goal of including offshore wind energy monitoring efforts within the cooperation..
A 125,000-acre site, 60 miles off Long Island, New York, and 37 miles off Little Egg Harbour, New Jersey, has been leased by Community Offshore Wind Energy. Although the project’s final design has not yet been decided, at least 100 wind turbines are anticipated to be included. According to Perkins, operations might start in 2030 or 2031.
Ocean Wind Energy I Project by Orsted Receives Regulatory Approval
On a related note, NOAA has approved the Ocean Wind I project in southern New Jersey, run by the Danish company Orsted. This approval covers strategies to reduce unintentional annoyance or harm to marine animals while the project is being built.
According to NOAA, the project, which entails the installation of 98 turbines about 15 miles off the coastlines of Ocean City and Atlantic City, won’t likely cause any serious impact or marine mammal fatalities. The term “take” is used by the agency to describe situations in which animals are harassed or hurt.
The deaths of 70 whales along the East Coast since December have alarmed opponents of offshore wind projects, who blame site preparation activities for the deaths. Although over half of the whale deaths are ascribed to vessel strikes, three federal scientific agencies have not discovered any evidence connecting these operations to the whale mortality.
NOAA has imposed several restrictions on Orsted in order to protect whales. These restrictions include a ban on underwater explosions from November 1 to April 30, intensive monitoring of underwater explosions, a suspension of pile driving when specific marine mammals are present, and noise mitigation procedures during foundation installation.
The choice has drawn criticism, with Save the Right Whales Coalition spokesperson David Shanker labelling it “appalling.” According to research given by the group, offshore wind survey vessels employed unauthorized equipment and exceeded the noise limits.
Governmental and societal dynamics in New Jersey
These changes take place against the backdrop of rising opposition to offshore wind projects in New Jersey, which is mostly coming from Republican-leaning resident organizations and their political supporters. The state’s Democratic governor and Democratic-controlled Legislature remain dedicated to making New Jersey a leader in East Coast offshore wind energy notwithstanding this opposition.
Republicans in the state Senate have asked a special parliamentary session to examine legislation that would forbid future tax benefits for offshore wind companies beyond those already given to Orsted. They have also called for a halt on all offshore Wind Energy projects.
Six protesters were recently detained in Ocean City for their refusal to leave a route where Orsted began onshore testing for its first wind farm project.