LS Power Grid has presented its plans to bring power generated from New Jersey offshore wind farms into the state’s onshore electrical grid. LS Power Grid’s proposals, which the company collectively calls “Clean Energy Gateway,” include multiple alternatives and options designed to integrate offshore wind power into the state’s electrical grid.
The company’s proposals:
- use alternating current (AC) technology and extend the AC grid into the Atlantic
- route subsea cables through consolidated corridors to minimise ocean environmental impact, and route on-land cables through existing corridors and rights-of-way
- utilise an existing shoreline landing point, where other subsea cables are already buried, and utilise horizontal directional drilling technology that will place cables at least 25 feet below the shoreline
In recent years, New Jersey has established ambitious clean energy goals that call for securing 50 percent of the state’s energy from renewable sources by 2030, and 100 percent by 2050. The state’s plans include an offshore wind generation goal of 7,500 megawatts (MWs) of electricity. Thus far, the state has awarded a combined 3,700 MWs of offshore wind capacity to private sector companies that will build up to four offshore wind projects off the coast of Atlantic City.
