The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has announced it has approved the plan for construction and operations of the Ocean Wind 1 project offshore New Jersey.
Located about 13 nautical miles southeast of Atlantic City, the project will have an estimated capacity of 1,100MW. The Record of Decision (ROD) documents the decision to approve Ocean Wind LLC’s plan to construct up to 98 wind turbines and up to three offshore substations within its lease area. The decision also documents the extensive range of monitoring and mitigation measures that Ocean Wind will undertake to reduce the potential for impacts to protected species, such as marine mammals, sea turtles, and Atlantic sturgeon. These measures include vessel speed restrictions and clearance zones during construction. Ocean Wind has also committed to three fisheries mitigation programs: a direct compensation program for reimbursement of lost revenues, a navigational safety fund for navigation equipment upgrades, and a reimbursement program for lost or damaged commercial fishing gear. Ocean Wind 1 is being developed by Ørsted as a sole venture after Ørsted purchased the Public Service Enterprise Group's 25% stake in the project.
