A bill in support of Fishermen’s Energy’s long-embattled offshore wind demo off the coast of New Jersey was signed on Wednesday by Gov. Phil Murphy, D-N.J.
The legislation – sponsored by Assembly Democrats Vince Mazzeo, John Armato and Wayne DeAngelo – requires consideration and approval by the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) of an amended application for a “qualified offshore wind energy project in certain New Jersey territorial waters,” according to the text of the bill, which was first introduced in January.
The lawmakers explain in a press release that under current law, the board is to approve a qualified wind energy project that is located in territorial waters offshore of a municipality in which casino gaming is authorized.
The bill itself does not mention the Fishermen’s Energy project, a 25 MW demo wind farm proposed approximately three miles off the coast of Atlantic City, but the lawmakers point directly to the wind farm:
“The Fishermen’s Energy offshore wind project off the coast of Atlantic City is a ready-to-go project that can create jobs and diversify our energy portfolio,” says Mazzeo. “Former Governor [Chris] Christie’s complete backtrack on wind energy during his tenure in office set New Jersey back a decade in utilizing offshore wind. It’s time to get moving again to truly harness the incredible potential we have in New Jersey for offshore wind.”
In 2016, then-Gov. Christie vetoed two bills that would allow the BPU to approve qualified offshore wind projects and offer a 30-day window for developers to submit applications.
“We’re glad to see Governor Murphy do a reset from his predecessor on wind energy,” adds Armato. “In order to get to the governor’s 3,500 MW goal for wind energy, we should be green-lighting projects like Fisherman’s Energy. Offshore wind isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. We should be looking at projects big and small to green our environment and our economy.”
According to the legislators, the new law requires the board to provide a 90-day period for the submission of an amended application for such a project for which an original application has already been submitted. The board’s review of this amended application would be limited to addressing any modification that may be needed to meet any concerns previously expressed or considered by the board specifically concerning the issues of turbine selection and substantiation of financial viability. The law also provides that the cumulative number of wind turbines approved for the project would not exceed six.
In April, as a direct response to Murphy’s goal to promote the development of 3.5 GW of offshore wind in the state, EDF Renewable Energy, a subsidiary of the EDF EN Group, announced it would be acquiring the Fishermen’s Energy project, which has faced its share of legal battles over the years. Last year, Chris Wissemann, former CEO of Fishermen’s, took up a job at innogy.
The new measure was approved 57-13 by the Assembly and 31-4 by the Senate in April.
“New Jersey has enormous potential of offshore wind,” states DeAngelo. “However, even with the Offshore Wind Economic Development Act, the state has not yet begun to develop any offshore wind projects. These projects cannot be delayed any longer.”
