Federal government approves offshore wind project off Long Branch - News 12 New Jersey
Federal government approves offshore wind project off Long Branch
Another offshore wind project is inching closer to New Jersey and New York waters.
The federal government gave their final approval for Empire Wind 1 and 2 that is owned by Norwegian oil and gas giant Equinor. The plan calls for more than 140 offshore wind turbines to be built more than 15 miles from Long Branch.
Empire Wind still needs approval from New York to connect power to the plan. If approved, construction could reportedly start as early as this spring.
There are mounting concerns about marine life in the approved areas.
Related Knowledge Center: ENERGY BASICS: wind
Decades of government support for the development of wind energy has resulted in lower costs and a rapidly growing share of electricity generated by wind turbines. Wind in 2019 accounted for 7.3 percent of electrical generation, surpassing for the first time hydropower at 7.0 percent.