Invenergy and energyRe have submitted their bid to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to develop the 2.4GW Leading Light Wind offshore wind project in New Jersey.
The project proposed by the two US-based clean energy developers is designed to deliver sufficient clean energy to power up to one million households in the American state.
It is planned to be developed more than 64.4km east of Atlantic City and 128.8km south of Long Island. The Leading Light Wind project is expected to eliminate over four million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually during its operation.
The offshore wind facility is also projected to support thousands of jobs over its operational life.
According to the partners, the Leading Light Wind project represents more than $3bn in economic development benefits for New Jersey. This includes investments in offshore wind infrastructure and supply chains.
As part of this, the partners plan to invest in the localisation of a wind turbine generator (WTG) tower manufacturing facility, expansion of the EEW American Offshore Structures monopile manufacturing plant, and others.
Invenergy senior executive vice president and construction business leader Bryan Schueler said: “Leading Light Wind exemplifies Invenergy’s dedication to American-led energy innovation and our unmatched ability to increase US competitiveness in the offshore wind market.
“With strong partners in New Jersey, we are committed to delivering the benefits of the clean energy economy to Garden State residents for generations to come.”
The Leading Light Wind proposal also includes a battery storage option that will offer 253MW of advanced energy storage to enable grid and ratepayer benefits.
EnergyRe chief operating officer Ryan Brown said: “Leading Light Wind is ready to build out a world-leading domestic offshore wind industry with American-led ingenuity and expertise.
“Our proposal for New Jersey represents critical investments in energy infrastructure, local resiliency, and a just transition to a green economy.”
The bid for what is New Jersey’s third competitive offshore wind solicitation is a major step to advance the state’s goal of achieving 11GW of offshore wind energy by 2040, said the companies.
Last year, the partnership acquired lease OSC-A 0542 from the US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), with a winning bid of $645m.
