As part of a plan to install offshore wind sites along the nation’s coasts, the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on Wednesday approved the construction of up to 98 wind turbine generators off the coast of Atlantic City, New Jersey.
The Sea Wind 1 venture will be worked by an auxiliary of Orsted, a Danish organization. It is the Biden administration’s third commercial-scale offshore wind project to be approved. It is anticipated that when it is finished, it will generate enough energy to power nearly 400,000 homes. The administration stated that the project will generate approximately 3,000 jobs.
Why It Is important: The Ocean Wind 1 project represents a significant step toward President Biden’s goal of generating 30,000 megawatts from offshore wind turbines in coastal waters across the country by 2030. Atlantic City would be 13 nautical miles away.
The approval calls for the construction of up to three offshore substations in the lease area in addition to the turbines, which will feed the electricity generated by the floating turbines.
The approval was described as “another significant step forward for the offshore wind industry in the United States” by B.O.E.M. director Elizabeth Klein.
In a statement, Liz Burdock, founder and CEO of the Business Network for Offshore Wind, which backs the project, stated that workers in New Jersey and fabricators in Baltimore, Maryland, are beginning to produce turbine components.
The Democrat governor of New Jersey, Phil Murphy, stated, “The announcement of Ocean Wind 1’s Record of Decision today represents a pivotal inflection point not just for Orsted, but for New Jersey’s nation-leading offshore wind industry as a whole.” Mr. Murphy has stated that by 2040, he wants New Jersey to be the leading producer of wind energy in the nation.
The Biden organization as of now has endorsed a 62-turbine office made arrangements for the waters off Martha’s Grape plantation., Vineyard Wind, Massachusetts It likewise supported South Fork Wind, a 12-turbine project off the shore of Rhode Island that will give capacity to Long Island, N.Y.
In any case, there are obstacles. Landowners and fishing bunches have sued to stop the Grape plantation Wind project, contending the organization didn’t enough concentrate on the outcomes the breeze ranch could have on nearby anglers, or on the jeopardized North American right whale.
Three organizations recently filed a lawsuit against the state of New Jersey in an effort to halt the Ocean Wind 1 project. They claimed that the wind turbines would harm marine life and violate New Jersey’s rules for coastal management. The community activists intend to challenge Wednesday’s approval, according to Bruce Afran, an attorney who represents Save Long Beach Island, Protect Our Coast N.J., and Defend Brigantine Beach.
The Biden administration defended Ocean Wind 1 against environmental attacks and stated that the company plans to implement an “extensive range” of measures to protect marine life, including Atlantic sturgeon and sea turtles, when it approves the project.
What’s required: Offshore wind misinformation.
Since January, 25 whales have been abandoned or passed on along the East Coast, filling contentions by adversaries that seismic investigations directed for seaward wind projects are to be faulted. Climate change is a possibility, according to scientists, who say there is no connection. Moving into new areas, where they are more susceptible to ship strikes and becoming entangled in fishing gear, marine species are increasingly adapting to warming oceans.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration stated on its website that “there are no known links between recent large whale mortalities and ongoing offshore wind surveys.”
The Next Step: Soon, construction will begin.
Government endorsement was the last administrative step for Sea Wind 1, which can now start development. Orsted has stated that it anticipates opening for business in late 2024 or early 2025.
