Offshore Wind Farm Developer Chosen For N.J. Project

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The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJ BPU) has chosen Garden State Offshore Energy (GSOE), a joint venture of PSEG Renewable Generation and Deepwater Wind, as the preferred developer of a 350 MW wind farm off the coast of New Jersey. GSOE will proceed with evaluation of the project's environmental impacts and wind resources quality, as well as begin the permitting process at both the state and federal levels.

GSOE's proposal calls for 96 wind turbines arranged in a rectangular grid 16 to 20 miles off the coast of Cape May and Atlantic counties. At this distance, the wind farm would be barely visible from shore, addressing one of the major concerns of beach communities. The wind farm could begin generating energy in 2012, with the entire project operational in 2013.

The foundations, turbines and towers are planned to be assembled on land and will be transported to the wind farm site via large-scale barges. Assuming a suitable site can be found, turbine assembly and port facilities are expected to be located in New Jersey and create local green jobs.
‘PSEG believes that to meet the challenges of climate change, we need to move forward in three areas – expanding energy efficiency and conservation, investing in renewables and planning for additional clean central station power,’ says Ralph Izzo, chairman, CEO and president of PSEG. ‘We believe that offshore energy has great potential to bring clean energy and jobs to New Jersey.’


This decision was the result of a process run by the BPU's Office of Clean Energy. The Garden State Energy proposal was chosen from among five submitted to New Jersey regulators for evaluation. GSOE will also receive a $4 million grant from the state of New Jersey, 10% of which will be received up front to offset a portion of the costs of the studies. The remainder will be received upon commercial operations.

The completion of the project is dependent on receipt of all required permits, ongoing analysis of environmental impacts, wind quality studies, energy markets, financing and other conditions.

SOURCE: PSEG Renewable Generation

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