The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) will discuss Fishermen’s Energy Atlantic City Windfarm (FACW) today, and there is a possibility that the BPU will vote on the project as well.
Last year, the proposed offshore wind farm was rejected by the BPU, with an explanation that the wind farm is too expensive. In December 2013, the BPU’s staff voiced its opposition to the project and recommended that the Board discards it.
A few days ago, Fishermen’s Energy disclosed that it had received endorsements from the Atlantic County Freeholders and from the Greater Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce, both urging the BPU to approve the project.
New Jersey’s Energy Master Plan sets a target for the development of 1,100 megawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2020. Rejecting the Fishermen’s Energy project might be a sign that the state is not committed to achieving the target, which could set off other offshore wind developers, the NJ Spotlight writes.
“This project is the catalyst needed to jumpstart the offshore wind industry in New Jersey and it sends the right signals that New Jersey is open for business,” said Rhonda Jackson, Communications Director of Fishermen’s Energy.
Proponents of the FACW highlight the importance of the project, not only in delivering clean energy and testing offshore wind technology, but in its ability to create jobs.
“We all need to act urgently to support the development of the first round of offshore wind projects in the United States in order to capture a new American manufacturing opportunity and create tens of thousands of new American jobs,” Rhonda Jackson added.
“Newly created manufacturing facilities and the associated jobs will be located in some of the areas of our country where they are needed most, near our ports,” she added.
The proposed wind farm would comprise 5 turbines of 5MW, amounting to a capacity of 25 MW. It would be located in water depths of around 12m, 2.8 miles off the coast.
Offshore WIND Staff, March 19, 2014; Image: fishermensenergy