New Jersey State Offshore Wind Energy Program Support

Identifying an Optimal Offshore Wind Energy Transmission Program Approach to Lower Costs, Reduce Delays, and Minimize Environmental and Community Impacts
New Jersey
The New Jersey Energy Master Plan has the potential to serve as a national model for transforming the way state clean energy priorities are incorporated into the regional transmission planning process.
The New Jersey Energy Master Plan has the potential to serve as a national model for transforming the way state clean energy priorities are incorporated into the regional transmission planning process.

The state of New Jersey has a goal of achieving 11,000 MW of offshore wind (OSW) energy. To achieve this goal, the state needed to create a strategy for OSW energy transmission. As a subconsultant to The Brattle Group, our firm was brought on to evaluate the potential environmental impact and regulatory permitting requirements of proposed projects from 13 companies that were accepted by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU). These included four types of OSW-related transmission proposals from qualifying bidders. Proposals were evaluated to determine the most efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally protective transmission solutions. 

11,000

MW offshore wind goal

80

proposals received

Each proposal was evaluated for both its impacts on environmental resources and the risks associated with receiving the necessary permits to construct the facilities. We also identified the anticipated local, state, and federal permits that would be required for each proposal, along with timelines and challenges associated with obtaining these permits.

In October 2022, NJBPU awarded a series of projects to construct the onshore transmission facilities necessary to successfully deliver offshore wind to New Jersey customers. The awards include a variety of projects to strengthen the regional and near-shore transmission grids, including the identification of a preferred point of interconnection (POI) for future offshore wind projects off the coast of New Jersey. The evaluations were published in the New Jersey State Agreement Approach for Offshore Wind Transmission: Evaluation Report which The Brattle Group team prepared for the NJBPU. This first-of-its-kind onshore transmission approach is conceived to lower costs, reduce delays, and minimize environmental and community impacts. It has potential to serve as a national model for transforming the way state clean energy priorities are incorporated into the regional transmission planning process. 

Owner

New Jersey Board of Public Utilities and PJM Interconnection, LLC

Client

The Brattle Group

Cost

$1 billion

Services

  • Environmental
  • Geospatial, Mapping and Survey
  • Planning, Consulting and Advisory

Markets

  • Energy

Regions

  • Northeast