New Jersey Offshore Wind Project Hits Turbulence

New Jersey’s newest ambitious clean-energy project is facing significant delays.
Leading Light Wind, an American-founded initiative, has requested a pause from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) on its plans to develop a wind farm off Long Beach Island.
The project is struggling to secure a manufacturer for its turbine blades.
In a filing submitted in July but only recently made public, Leading Light Wind cited industrywide shifts in market conditions as the primary reason for the delay.
Wes Jacobs, the project director and vice president of Offshore Wind Development at Invenergy, a partner in the project, emphasized the need for more time to negotiate with the board and supply chain partners.
Despite the pause, his outlook remains hopeful.
“As one of the largest American-led offshore wind projects in the country, we remain committed to delivering this critically important energy project, as well as its significant economic and environmental benefits, to the Garden State,” he said in a statement.
The project has since been plagued by setbacks, including the withdrawal of turbine supplier GE Vernova and a significant cost increase from Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, leaving the project without a viable turbine supplier.
This is not the first offshore wind project in New Jersey to encounter difficulties.
Almost a year ago, Danish energy giant Ørsted canceled two wind farms planned off the state’s coast due to financial infeasibility.
Atlantic Shores, another project with initial approval, is now seeking to renegotiate the monetary terms of its development.
The delay has been met with enthusiasm by opponents of offshore wind, who have been particularly vocal in the state.
Protect Our Coast NJ, a prominent opposition group, expressed hope that Leading Light Wind would abandon the project altogether.
“Yet another offshore wind developer is finding out for themselves that building massive power installations in the ocean is a fool’s errand, especially off the coast of New Jersey,” they said.
“We hope Leading Light follows the example of Ørsted and leaves New Jersey before any further degradation of the marine and coastal environment can take place.”
A DOE report on offshore wind energy in the pipeline over the coming two decades identified more than 52,000 megawatts of projects in various stages of permitting or planning through 2050—more than half of those are in waters off New Jersey, Massachusetts, and New York.
New Jersey has become a hotbed of opposition to offshore wind, with many residents and political figures, particularly Republicans, questioning the industry’s environmental impact and financial viability.
Upon Ørsted’s cancellation last year, former president Donald Trump cheered the efforts of local Congressman, Jeff Van Drew to fend away the “horrendous” project.
“This monstrosity required massive government subsidies, and ultimately, just didn’t work,” he wrote on Truth Social at the time.
Conversely, supporters, largely Democrats, argue that offshore wind is essential to reducing reliance on fossil fuels and combating climate change.
The state has ambitious goals to become the East Coast hub for offshore wind—those in support will have to wait to see if this becomes a reality.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.