The Biden-Harris Administration has approved the third major offshore wind project in American waters.

WASHINGTON – The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management of the Department of the Interior announced today that the plan for the Ocean Wind 1 project offshore New Jersey has been authorised. The project, which will be located around 13 nautical miles southeast of Atlantic City, will have an estimated capacity of 1,100 megawatts of clean energy, enough to power over 380,000 homes, and is expected to create more than 3,000 good-paying jobs throughout development and a three-year building cycle.

Today's announcement is the Biden-Harris administration's third approval of a commercial-scale offshore wind energy project in the United States, following the Vineyard Wind project off the coast of Massachusetts and the South Fork Wind project off the coasts of Rhode Island and New York, both of which are currently under construction and are being built by union labour. These projects make considerable progress towards the Administration's aim of creating 30 gigatonnes of clean, renewable offshore wind energy by 2030 while conserving biodiversity and ocean usage.

"Since Day One, the Biden-Harris administration has worked to jump-start the offshore wind industry across the country - and today's approval for the Ocean Wind 1 project is another milestone in our efforts to create good-paying union jobs while combating climate change and powering our nation," said Secretary Deb Haaland. "By collaborating closely with state and local leaders, Tribes, ocean users, and other stakeholders, we are moving forward with responsible clean energy development that will benefit communities while mitigating potential impacts on the environment or marine life."

"Ocean Wind 1 represents yet another significant step forward for the offshore wind industry in the United States," BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein stated. "The project's approval demonstrates the federal government's commitment to developing clean energy and combating climate change, as well as New Jersey's leadership in supporting sustainable energy sources and economic development for coastal communities."

President Biden's Investing in America agenda and 'Bidenomics' strategy are growing the American economy from the middle out and bottom up - from rebuilding our nation's infrastructure to driving over $490 billion in private sector manufacturing and clean energy investments in the US, to creating good paying jobs and building a clean energy economy that will combat climate change and make our communities more resilient. The Administration is making a once-in-a-generation investment in America's infrastructure and clean energy future, as well as taking the next steps to expand offshore wind energy across the country.

"Construction on two wind projects off the coasts of Massachusetts and New York is already underway." The announcement today offers the go-ahead for the construction of another. This project, located off the coast of New Jersey, will generate enough energy to power roughly 500,000 households on its own. This tremendous increase in sustainable energy construction did not occurred by chance. It's not a coincidence. It's Bidenomics at work. "We're going to be big, bold, and build things," stated White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi. "Thanks to President Biden's leadership, the United States will continue to seize opportunities for offshore wind and other clean energy technologies, strengthening our energy security and moving us closer to our climate goals, all while creating good-paying jobs throughout the manufacturing supply chain."

The Record of Decision (ROD) details the decision to accept Ocean Wind LLC's intention to build up to 98 wind turbines and three offshore substations inside the lease area.

The judgement also highlights Ocean Wind's rigorous monitoring and mitigation procedures to decrease the potential for harm to protected species such as marine mammals, sea turtles, and Atlantic sturgeon. These measures include vessel speed limitations and construction clearance zones. Ocean Wind has also agreed to three fisheries mitigation programmes: a direct compensation programme to refund lost profits, a navigational safety fund to enhance navigation equipment, and a reimbursement programme for lost or damaged commercial fishing gear. BOEM collaborated with Tribes, federal, state, and municipal governments, as well as industry, ocean users, and other critical partners and stakeholders, to create these measures.

BOEM published a draught Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on June 24, 2022, kicking off a 45-day public comment process that was eventually extended until August 23, 2022. During this time, BOEM hosted three virtual public meetings to gather additional feedback on the draught EIS from tribal nations, local community members, commercial fishing interests, and other ocean users. During the comment period, BOEM received approximately 1,300 comments from federal, tribal, state, and municipal government entities, non-governmental organisations, and the general public.

BOEM held tribal consultation meetings in June 2021 with the Delaware Nation and the Delaware Tribe of Indians, and in November 2022 with the Delaware Tribe of Indians and the Shinnecock Indian Nation. BOEM also held five meetings with 37 consulting parties (Tribal nations, federal agencies, state agencies, local governments, nongovernmental organisations, private property owners, and the lessee) as part of the National Historic Preservation Act Section 106 process to identify avoidance and mitigation measures for potential impacts to historic and cultural resources and properties.

BOEM took the information gathered from these sessions into account when creating the final EIS, a vital step in ensuring the project can move forward while balancing the needs and interests of everyone who may be impacted by the development.

The Biden-Harris administration has made strides in catalysing a new renewable energy economy over the last two years by investing in workers and communities while protecting biodiversity and ocean co-use. BOEM anticipates reviewing at least 16 Construction and Operations Plans for commercial, offshore wind energy plants by 2025, totaling more than 27 GW of sustainable energy for the country.