The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on Thursday released its Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for Atlantic Shores Project 1 and 2.

Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind submitted a combined Construction and Operations plan for the two offshore wind projects, collectively referred to as the Atlantic Shores South Wind Project.

Key components of the proposal include:

• Up to 200 total wind turbines and up to 10 offshore substations with subsea transmission cables potentially making landfall in Atlantic City and Sea Girt
• A lease area that covers nearly 102,124 acres located approximately 8.7 miles off the Jersey coast at its closest point
• Atlantic Shores Project 1 has an offtake agreement to generate 1,510 MW of offshore wind energy, enough to power over 700,000 homes. Estimates put local economic benefits at $848 million with an overall economic impact of $1.9 billion for New Jersey
• Combined, the two projects have the potential to produce 2,800 MW of clean energy – enough to power 1 million homes

Public engagement

According to BOEM, the process included four public meetings and a Tribal consultation meeting in June 2023. Those events gathered feedback on the Atlantic Shores South draft EIS from Tribal Nations, local community members, commercial fishing interests and other ocean users. As NJBIZ has reported, the project has faced robust pushback and litigation from local activists, lawmakers, environmentalists and other stakeholders. Reasons for opposing offshore wind vary — ranging from potential harm to marine mammals to tourism impacts, sightlines and other concerns.

“Public engagement and Tribal consultations were vital in informing BOEM’s thorough environmental evaluation of the proposed Atlantic Shores South Wind Project,” said BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein. “Completing this environmental analysis is a significant milestone in the administration’s drive to realize clean energy ambitions that will enhance the lives of Americans now and for generations to come.”

Despite the hurdles and broader economic headwinds, which led Ørsted to pull the plug on its projects last fall, Atlantic Shores continues build momentum.

This BOEM announcement follows the awarding of an early works contract this week for Atlantic Shores 1.

“We are encouraged to see forward progress and getting another step closer to delivering New Jersey’s first offshore wind projects,” said Joris Veldhoven, CEO, Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind. “We appreciate BOEM’s thorough environmental evaluation and recognize the significance of this milestone in reaching the Garden State’s goal of 100% clean energy by 2035.”

In the coming days, the FEIS for Atlantic Shores Project 1 and 2 will publish in the Federal Register.