New Project information was submitted by the project sponsor on October 4, 2022, October 14, 2022, and October 27, 2022 in response to stakeholder concerns which included an updated COP and permit applications showing a shift to the location of the BL England substation to an adjacent portion of the same property which formerly housed elements of the BL England Generating Station and adjustment of the row A wind turbine generators (WTGs) as outlined in a joint letter signed by Ocean Wind LLC and Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind to create a distance of at least 1,500 meter between Ocean Wind 1’s and Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind South’s WTGs, and supplemental filing of information pertaining to maintenance dredging of the Barnegat Inlet Federal Navigation Project and upland material disposal and restoration of impacted submerged aquatic vegetation at a ratio of 3:1. The project sponsor’s delayed submission of their New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) Land Resources Protection permit application will result in delayed issuance of NJDEP’s Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) federal consistency review decision. Delays to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) consultation with National Marine Fisheries Service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) consultation with NOAA will result in delayed issuance of reasonable and prudent measures (with implementing terms and conditions) and conservation recommendations, respectively. BOEM requests this extension of the interim and final milestone dates to provide adequate time for BOEM to incorporate CZMA federal consistency conditions, as well as measures issued as a result of the ESA and EFH consultations and developed through the Section 106 review, into the final EIS, ROD and COP decision.
BOEM coordinated the change to the interim EIS milestone with all FAST-41 cooperating and participating agencies in an interagency meeting held on January 17, 2023. On January 5, 2023, the project sponsor was consulted regarding this permitting timetable update and raised no objections to the extension.
Extension of this milestone was coordinated with the changes to the final milestone and has been documented in the project's CPP.
Milestones:
PROJECT WEBSITE: Ocean Wind
All dates below are specific to the schedule of the Environmental Review and Permitting processes for this project.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW AND PERMITTING STATUS
IN PROGRESS
ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE OF ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW AND PERMITTING
SUBJECT TO CHANGE
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW AND PERMITTING PROCESSES
COMPLETED
SECTOR
Renewable Energy Production
CATEGORY
Project Category
FAST-41 Covered Projects
LEAD AGENCY
Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
View FAST-41 Postings by Agencies
Other Agencies with Actions or Authorizations:
Department of the Army, US Army Corps of Engineers - Regulatory
Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service
Environmental Protection Agency
Department of the Army, US Army Corps of Engineers - Civil Works
Description:
Ocean Wind, LLC intends to construct, operate and maintain a commercial-scale offshore wind energy facility located approximately 15 miles off the coast of New Jersey within Lease Area OCS-A 0498 (the “Ocean Wind 1 Project”). The Ocean Wind 1 Project, consisting of up to 98 wind turbine generators (WTG), inter-array cables, up to three Offshore Substations (OSS), two onshore substations, and two transmission cable routes making landfall in Ocean County, New Jersey and Cape May County, New Jersey, is intended to fulfill the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities’ (BPU) September 20, 2018, solicitation for 1,100 MW of offshore wind capacity, and a corresponding Offshore Wind Renewable Energy Certificate (OREC) allowance of 4,851,489 MW-hours per year was awarded to Ocean Wind via BPU on June 21, 2019 (BPU Docket No. QO18121289, In the Matter of the Board of Public Utilities Offshore Wind Solicitation for 1,100 MW – Evaluation of the Offshore Wind Applications). The Ocean Wind 1 Project would contribute to New Jersey’s goal of 7.5 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind energy generation by 2035 as outlined in New Jersey Governor’s Executive Order No. 92, issued on November 19, 2019.
Update:
The Executive Director granted a Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) request to extend the Endangered Species Act Consultation completion date on September 23, 2022. The Executive Director determination is posted here.
The Executive Director granted a Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) request to extend the EFH consultation and Endangered Species Act Consultation completion date on November 18, 2022. The Executive Director determination is posted here.
The Executive Director granted a Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) request to extend the Endangered Species Act Consultation completion date on December 16, 2022. The Executive Director determination is posted here.
Original Target Date: 03/31/2023
Milestone: Issuance of Lead Agency Record of Decision (Agency Action)
Requested extensions greater than 30 days for this Action are shown below:
Official Notice of Availability of a Final EIS published in the FR beginning both the public review period and concurrent CAA Section 309 Review (Agency Action) extended by 56
From: 04/14/2023
To: 05/26/2023