Efforts Underway
There are four renewable energy efforts underway offshore New Jersey. For more information, please click on the links below:
Public Engagement
BOEM coordinates Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) renewable energy activities offshore New Jersey through its Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force, which is made up of representatives from federal, state, local and tribal governments. BOEM also coordinates public information meetings to help keep interested stakeholders updated on renewable energy milestones occurring offshore New Jersey. To obtain information discussed during these meetings click on the links below.
Environmental Studies
BOEM has funded or considered numerous studies to collect information about the marine environment to support decisions concerning offshore renewable energy development. For more information, please visit: http://www.boem.gov/NJ-Environmental-Studies.
Related Press Releases
- BOEM Identifies Environmental Measures for Wind Energy Development in the New York Bight (12/02/2024)
- BOEM Completes Environmental Review of Wind Lease Areas Offshore New York and New Jersey (10/21/2024)
- BOEM Approves Construction and Operations Plan for Atlantic Shores South Offshore Wind Projects (10/01/2024)
- Biden-Harris Administration Approves Ninth Offshore Wind Project (07/02/2024)
- BOEM Releases Final Environmental Impact Statement for Two Wind Projects Offshore New Jersey (05/23/2024)
- BOEM Announces Environmental Review of Proposed Wind Energy Project Offshore New Jersey (03/15/2024)
- Biden-Harris Administration Approves Third Major Offshore Wind Project in U.S. Waters (07/05/2023)
- BOEM Completes Environmental Analysis for Proposed Wind Project Offshore New Jersey (05/22/2023)
- BOEM Seeks Public Input on Draft Environmental Analysis for Proposed Wind Energy Project Offshore New Jersey (05/15/2023)
- BOEM Invites Public Comment on Draft Environmental Analysis for Proposed Wind Energy Project Offshore New Jersey (06/17/2022)
- Biden-Harris Administration Sets Offshore Energy Records with $4.37 Billion in Winning Bids for Wind Sale (02/25/2022)
- BOEM Announces Upcoming Environmental Review for a Proposed Wind Project Offshore New York and New Jersey (06/17/2021)
- BOEM Seeks Information and Industry Interest in Offshore Wind Energy Development within the New York Bight Region (04/06/2018)
- Interior Department Auctions 344,000 Acres Offshore New Jersey for Wind Energy Development (11/9/2015)
- Interior to Auction 344,000 Acres Offshore New Jersey for Wind Energy Development, Advances President's Climate Action Plan (9/23/2015)
- Interior Department Achieves Another Milestone for Offshore Commercial Wind Energy Development in New Jersey (7/17/2014)
- Obama Administration Announces Major Steps toward Leasing for Offshore Wind Projects in Mid-Atlantic (2/2/2012)
- BOEM Seeks Public Input on Offshore Wind Energy Development’s Potential Impacts on Historic Properties (10/20/2011)
- Salazar Launches "Smart from the Start" Initiative to Speed Offshore Wind Energy Development off the Atlantic Coast (11/23/2010)
Call for Information
The Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act requires BOEM to award leases competitively, unless BOEM determines there is no competitive interest.
Apr. 2011: BOEM published the Call for Information and Nominations – Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental Shelf Offshore New Jersey in the Federal Register for public review. The purpose of the “Call” was to determine if competitive interest existed for the construction of an offshore wind facility offshore New Jersey in addition to requesting information about site conditions, resources, and multiple uses within the area identified within the Federal Register Notice that would be relevant for commercial wind leasing.
Materials relating to the “Call” are below.
- New Jersey Call for Information and Nominations for Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the OCS Offshore New Jersey
- Map Showing the New Jersey Call for Information and Nominations Area
- Map Showing the New Jersey Call for Information and Nominations Area with a NOAA Nautical Chart Background
- New Jersey Call for Information and Nominations Area Boundary Coordinates
- GIS File of the New Jersey Call Area (UTM Zone 18, NAD 83)
Jun. 6, 2011: The public comment period for the Call closed. In response, BOEM received 11 commercial indications of interest to obtain a commercial lease for a wind energy project. BOEM initiated a review of these parties' submissions to assess filing completeness, as well as legal, technical, and financial qualifications to hold an OCS renewable energy commercial lease.
BOEM also received a number of comments.
After analyzing new available Automatic Identification System (AIS) data and holding discussions with the United Stated Coast Guard, the New Jersey Renewable Energy Task, and maritime stakeholders BOEM decided that it would be appropriate to remove OCS Blocks Wilmington NJ18– 02 Block 6740 and Block 6790 (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, M, N) and Block 6840 (A) to alleviate navigational safety concerns resulting from vessel transits out of the New York Harbor.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Assessment Report
Oct. 2013: The Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) submitted a report to BOEM that focuses on the New Jersey Wind Energy Area. The NREL, under an interagency agreement with BOEM, is provided technical assistance to identify and delineate leasing areas for offshore wind energy development within Wind Energy Areas on the Atlantic Coast.
Proposed Sale Notice
Jul. 17, 2014: BOEM announced that the Atlantic Wind Lease Sale 5 Proposed Sale Notice (PSN) would be published in the Federal Register on July 21, 2014. The Notice requested public comments on BOEM’s proposal to auction two leases offshore New Jersey for commercial wind energy development. Information related to the PSN is located below.
- Atlantic Wind Lease Sale 5 Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental Shelf Offshore New Jersey – Proposed Sale Notice
- Proposed Commercial Lease OCS-A 0498
- Proposed Commercial Lease OCS-A 0499
- Bidders Financial Form
- Alternate Bidding Form
- Map of the New Jersey Leasing Areas
- Map of the New Jersey Leasing Areas overlaid on Nautical Chart
- GIS Files for the New Jersey Leasing Areas (UTM Zone 18, NAD 83)
Environmental Review
Feb. 3, 2012: BOEM published in the Federal Register a Notice of Availability of an Environmental Assessment (EA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for commercial wind lease issuance and site assessment activities on the Atlantic OCS offshore New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. Consultations ran concurrently with preparation of the EA and included consultations under the Endangered Species Act, Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, and the Coastal Zone Management Act.
Jul. 11, 2012: BOEM issued a “Finding of No Historic Properties Affected for the Issuance of Commercial Leases within the New Jersey Wind Energy Area."
Final Sale Notice
Sep. 23, 2015: BOEM announced that it published a Final Sale Notice, which stated a commercial lease sale (i.e., auction) would be held November 9, 2015, for the Wind Energy Area (WEA) offshore New Jersey. The auction represents the fifth competitive lease sale for renewable energy on the OCS.
The New Jersey WEA was auctioned as two leases (OCS-A 0498 and OCS-A 0499). Materials related to the Final Sale Notice are below.
- Final Sale Notice
- Map of the New Jersey Lease Areas
- Map of the New Jersey Lease Areas with Nautical Chart
- Commercial Lease OCS-A 0498
- Commercial Lease OCS-A 0499
- Auction System Technical Supplement
- Bidder's Financial Form
- Alternate Bidding Form
- Electronic Payment Instructions
- Response to Comments
- New Jersey Offshore Wind Auction Frequently Asked Questions
The area available for auction is identical to the one announced in the Proposed Sale Notice (PSN) published in the Federal Register July 21, 2014, for a 60-day public comment period. BOEM carefully considered public comments received during this time prior to developing the Final Sale Notice, as discussed in the Response to Comments above.
Commercial Leases
Nov. 9, 2015: BOEM held a competitive lease sale (i.e., auction) for the Wind Energy Area offshore New Jersey. The auction lasted seven rounds.
RES America Developments Inc., which bid $880,715 was the winner of lease area OCS-A 0498, and US Wind Inc., which bid $1,006,240 was the winner of lease OCS-A 0499. See a summary of the bidding results.
Feb. 4, 2016: The commercial wind energy leases were signed by BOEM and went into effect on March 1, 2016. The executed leases are available below.
- Lease OCS-A 0498
- Lease OCS-A 0499
- On September 28, 2021: BOEM received an application from Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind, LLC to assign 100 percent interest in the southern portion of OCS-A 0499 (which contains the Atlantic Shores South Project 1 and 2 areas) to Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Project 1, LLC and Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Project 2, LLC, respectively, with each entity having a 50 percent interest.
- On April 19, 2022: The northern portion of OCS-A 0499 was retained by Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind, LLC and given a new lease number (OCS-A 0549) by BOEM, while the southern portion retains the original lease number assigned by BOEM: OCS-A 0499.
- On July 15, 2024: Atlantic Shores Offshores Wind Project 1, LLC and Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Project 2, LLC (OCS-A 0499) applied to BOEM for a lease segregation and partial assignment. The segregation and assignment was approved on Sept. 30, 2024. The western part of the lease was assigned and retained by Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Project 1, LLC and keeps the original lease number. The eastern part of the lease was assigned and retained by Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Project 2, LLC, with a new lease number (OCS-A 0570).