MAOD is a joint venture of EDF Renewables – North America and Shell New Energies U.S. In addition, the board awarded onshore grid upgrade projects to accept offshore transmission from the LTCS to utilities Atlantic City Electric, BGE, LS Power, PECO, PPL, PSE&G and Transource.

The MAOD-JCP&L proposal is estimated to cost $504 million. The necessary onshore grid upgrade projects are estimated to cost $568 million, for a total of $1.07 billion for the full LTCS. It is estimated that the selected projects will save New Jersey ratepayers $900 million compared to the cost of transmission without using this coordinated approach through the State Agreement Approach (SAA). The SAA solicitation closed in September 2021, and proposals for 80 projects were received from 13 transmission developers.

The board’s decision Wednesday was informed by data and analysis from New Jersey’s grid operator, PJM Interconnection. This project represents the first-ever use of the State Agreement Approach between the NJBPU and PJM, using PJM’s competitive transmission planning process to help NJBPU solicit and evaluate 80 different transmission proposals. The board determined that the selected projects best meet the goals of the SAA solicitation and will result in a more efficient and cost-effective means of achieving 7,500 MW of OSW by 2035, the state’s offshore wind goal at the time of the solicitation.

“New Jersey has been at the leading edge of offshore wind development since Gov. Murphy took office, and today’s action is further evidence that we are committed to developing offshore wind and the necessary transmission to shore in the most cost-effective, reliable and responsible manner possible,” said Joseph L. Fiordaliso, president of the NJBPU. “I would like to thank Board staff for a very thorough job of evaluating the many applications we received for this first-in-the-nation coordinated offshore wind transmission solicitation process.”

The board also directed its staff to begin necessary preliminary steps to support a future SAA solicitation, to enable the transmission of New Jersey’s new and expanded goal of 11,000 MW of offshore wind energy by 2040, and to continue its engagement with other states, regional grid operators and other stakeholders regarding a regional approach to offshore wind transmission.

The approved applicants were part of a competitive solicitation process aimed at exploring coordinated offshore wind transmission solutions. The process identified the most cost-effective, environmentally sensitive and ready-to-build means of reliably bringing offshore wind energy to shore. A public process beginning in 2019 included several technical conferences and four stakeholder meetings, which informed the design of the solicitation and the evaluation of responses.

The selected bid requires the project developer to prebuild a single corridor from the shore crossing to the LTCS. This single corridor will be designed to be used by offshore wind projects needed to reach 7,500 MW. This will result in a single onshore transmission corridor which will reduce environmental impact, community disruption and permitting risks. The Board anticipates issuing the third solicitation in Q1 2023.

News item from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU)

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Merricourt Wind Project located in Kulm, North Dakota. EDF Renewables

“North Dakota’s abundant wind resource and supportive regulatory environment combine to create an opportunity to provide low-cost, reliable clean energy to utilities like Otter Tail Power Company,” said Kate O’Hair, VP of North Region Development at EDF Renewables. “After many years of development, we are thrilled to see this project fully operational. Our gratitude goes out to Otter Tail Power Company for making this project a reality, and especially the local community and landowners who have supported Merricourt Wind through the years.”

Located approximately 10 miles southwest of Kulm, North Dakota, in McIntosh and Dickey Counties, the project created 260 construction jobs and generated millions of dollars in economic benefits to the local area. The 75 Vestas wind turbines are expected to generate enough energy to meet the consumption of nearly 65,000 homes annually.

“Completing the Merricourt Wind Energy Center marks a major milestone,” said Tim Rogelstad, president of Otter Tail Power Company. “At approximately $260 million, Merricourt is the largest capital investment in Otter Tail Power Company’s history. Thank you to EDF Renewables and everyone involved with this project. Your tireless efforts and dedication have made it possible.”

EDF Renewables has 16 gigawatts of wind, solar, and storage projects developed throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico.

News item from EDF Renewables North America

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New Jersey seeks to award between 1,200 MW and 2,400 MW of offshore wind energy projects as part of its second proposal solicitation. Atlantic Shores estimates its first project would be completed as early as 2027 and if awarded, the largest sized project in its bid could yield a 16% reduction in New Jersey’s carbon dioxide emissions from electricity generation by powering the equivalent of nearly one million homes.

“As the holder of one of the largest offshore wind leases in the United States, Atlantic Shores has an incredible opportunity to help meet New Jersey’s demand for clean, affordable energy within our 180,000 acres,” said Jennifer Daniels, development director. “Our project, backed by the technical, operational, and development expertise of our team and the financial backing of global energy parent companies, is well-positioned to serve New Jersey ratepayers best. Offshore wind can propel a dynamic and fast-growing new economy on the East Coast, and we are committed to helping build it first in New Jersey. We are confident that if the project is selected, Atlantic Shores will help New Jersey to deliver on its vision of a clean energy future.”

The developer rolled out several key partnerships as part of its bid to further offshore wind workforce development and education in New Jersey, to help prepare local workers for the hundreds of future jobs its project will create if selected. Some of these new partnerships within the bid include initiatives with Rutgers University, Rowan College, the Barnegat Bay Partnership, the Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City and workforce training with several manufacturers and suppliers.

The series of investments comes in advance of an expected boom in the offshore wind industry post-COVID-19, positioning New Jersey as an incubator center for clean energy innovations as the offshore wind supply chain for the Atlantic seaboard.

As part of the developer’s bid offering, Atlantic Shores, through its partnership with Rutgers University, will help fund the Rutgers Future Scholars program in offshore wind, providing yearly scholarships for first-generation, low-income students. Atlantic Shores will also fund a number of companies within the Minority & Women Owned Business Incubator at the Rutgers EcoComplex located in Bordentown, New Jersey, who are working to transition clean energy start-ups into successful real-world applications.

At Rowan College in Burlington County, the Atlantic Shores bid also commits to provide funding for approximately 30 yearly scholarships for Rowan’s programs in energy industry fundamentals, transportation, logistics and distribution/supply chain, manufacturing machinist and other workforce training programs that align with offshore wind industry needs.

To support environmental health near its lease area, the Atlantic Shores’ bid offers financial support to multiple initiatives with the Barnegat Bay Partnership, such as its Paddle for the Edge Program, and will sponsor STEAM programs with the Atlantic City Boys and Girls Club for the next eight years.

“We are thrilled to announce a number of direct investments in workforce development initiatives alongside our bid, with institutions leading in clean energy fields like Rutgers and Rowan, in addition to workforce training with our supply chain partners,” said Joris Veldhoven, commercial director. “These partnerships will help build strong local talent pools for Atlantic Shores, at the same time enabling New Jersey workers to be on the ground floor of a massive new industry. We look forward to furthering our investment in partnerships like these for many years to come.”

If the Atlantic Shores bid is selected, the developer intends to use the state’s New Jersey Wind Port for staging and marshalling as the port is built over the next several years. The developer will also execute significant investments during construction and operations phases to create hundreds of jobs for New Jersey residents and further expand New Jersey’s supply chain offerings.

“We’re very pleased to have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Atlantic Shores,” said Bill Sproule, executive secretary treasurer of the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters. “They appreciate the value our unions have to offer offshore wind as well as the need to train New Jersey organized labor for offshore jobs. Atlantic Shores is taking a proactive approach to working with local unions through signing this agreement and we look forward to our future together.”

In its bid, Atlantic Shores has also put forth an innovation plan extending beyond offshore wind, that will help New Jersey meets its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050 as outlined in its 2019 Energy Master Plan. As parts of its broad innovation plan, Atlantic Shores will leverage the technical capabilities of its parent companies and collaborate with academic partners and companies in New Jersey to explore commercial pathways for battery storage.

Atlantic Shores has also committed to supporting the development of a 5 to 10 MW green hydrogen pilot project to improve the understanding and expertise on how green hydrogen can support the decarbonization of large industrial sectors.

News item from Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind

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