The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities held a public stakeholder meeting this week where Advanced Energy United and key allies spoke in favor of opening a prebuild infrastructure solicitation to support the development of offshore wind projects.
The transmission project would allow 3,742 MW of offshore wind power to connect to the grid, supporting up to four different wind projects.
United's Katie Mettle testified at the meeting, making the case for opening a solicitation. Mettle shared with the board in part:
"The offshore wind industry has already generated $2.5 billion for long-term investments in new ports, factories, transmission systems, workforce development, and innovative environmental research for New Jersey. Nine hundred and thirty-four companies have joined the offshore wind supply chain registry. Completing the prebuild transmission infrastructure project is necessary to realize the full potential of offshore wind to grow New Jersey’s economy, improve public health, and mitigate climate change. This investment will reap benefits for generations to come."
United’s full written testimony is available to view and download here.
After the Board of Public Utilities conducts its solicitation and awards a project, the BPU will submit that project to the regional grid operator PJM for incorporation into the Regional Transmission Expansion Plan.
United has been a champion for transmission and offshore wind development in New Jersey since these projects were approved by the state in January. In March of this year, NJ Spotlight News published an op-ed by United CEO Heather O’Neill that argued an investment in transmission infrastructure was key to getting offshore wind development back on track.
Offshore wind is essential to growing New Jersey’s economy, hitting clean energy goals, and improving grid reliability. This transmission infrastructure project is a critical piece of that puzzle, reducing both the need to separately construct transmission lines for each individual project and the costs of bringing offshore wind power to customers’ homes. The prebuild infrastructure project will lay the groundwork (literally!) for offshore wind to deliver electricity to the grid.