A second phase of the Atlantic Shores wind energy project won a major federal approval Tuesday, advancing plans for 200 wind turbines within sight of New Jersey beach resorts.
The Atlantic Shores South project between Long Beach Island and Atlantic City would include 10 offshore substations and export cables bringing power to landfalls at Atlantic City and Sea Girt to the north in Monmouth County, N.J.
Combined with the previously approved Atlantic Shores 1 project, the joint ventures by Shell New Energies US LLC and EDF-RE Offshore Development, LLC would have a total nameplate maximum capacity rating of 2,800 megawatts.
An announcement of the record of decision from the Department of Interior touted the Biden administration’s pace of offshore wind approvals, counting Atlantic Shores South as the 9th major project.
“Today’s approval of an offshore wind project that has a labor agreement with six New Jersey unions reflects the win-win opportunities that we are seizing to benefit local workers and communities,” said Ali Zaidi, the administration national climate advisor.
The array could be within 8.7 miles of shore at its closest point, but developers have said the nearest turbines would be about 12.8 miles out. Atlantic Shores would still be one of the closest nearshore wind projects in the world, according to determined protests and legal opposition from the group Save LBI.
Along with objections from beach community groups and the tourism industry, the prospect of turbine arrays off southern New Jersey has long been opposed by commercial fishermen. Surf clam operators say they cannot safely operate within those areas without at least 2 nautical mile clearance between turbine towers – about twice the spacing envisioned by BOEM and developers.
The Atlantic Shores developers still must submit a construction and operations plan for approval by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
