RWE, National Grid JV Vies for New Jersey Offshore Wind Project

Wind Farm Update

August 8, 2023, by Adnan Memija

Community Offshore Wind, a joint venture (JV) between RWE and National Grid, has submitted its plan to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) in the state’s third offshore wind solicitation to develop a 1.3 GW wind farm off the Garden State.

New Jersey opened the solicitation in March and is looking to award between 1.2 GW and 4 GW of offshore wind capacity, building on the previously awarded 3.75 GW.

Developers had until 23 June to submit applications and the deadline for applying for Offshore Wind Renewable Energy Certificates (ORECs) was 4 August.

If selected, the Community Offshore Wind’s proposal will generate enough power for more than 500,000 homes annually.

It will also deliver significant economic benefits to the region, the developers said, including infusing an estimated USD 6 billion (approximately EUR 5.5 billion) in economic benefits for New Jersey through programmes to build an offshore wind workforce and supply chain.

The proposal would create more than 1,700 job positions in New Jersey over the project’s lifetime, Community Offshore Wind said.

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Community Offshore Wind forecasts the project will reduce New Jersey’s electric system greenhouse gas emissions by 52 million tonnes over the project lifetime (equivalent to taking over 11 million cars off the road) and marks a leap toward the state’s goal of bringing 11 GW of offshore wind online by 2040.

In February 2022, Community Offshore Wind acquired a 126,000-acre lease area in the New York Bight, located between New Jersey and Long Island.

Area OCS-A 0539 has the potential to accommodate around 3 GW of offshore wind turbines.

There are other companies that have submitted their bids in New Jersey’s third offshore wind solicitation, including Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind (a 50:50 joint venture between Shell New Energies US and EDF-RE Offshore Development), and Leading Light Wind (Invenergy and energyRe JV).