The New Jersey offshore wind project, Leading Light Wind, is seeking a second delay due to ongoing supply chain challenges [1]. The project, a collaboration between Chicago-based Invenergy and New York-based energyRE, aims to build up to 100 turbines 40 miles off Long Beach Island, enough to power 1 million homes.
The developers have struggled to find a manufacturer for the turbine blades and have faced significant price volatility in the offshore wind equipment market. The initial delay ended on December 20, and the project director, Wes Jacobs, stated that the additional time will help navigate ongoing market shifts and supply chain challenges.
Despite these setbacks, Invenergy remains committed to the project and has already invested millions of dollars into its development. The project must also contribute $105 million toward the construction of a facility to build monopiles, the tower-like foundations of wind turbines, in Paulsboro.
Critics of offshore wind projects have pointed to these delays as evidence of the industry’s economic challenges, especially with President-elect Donald Trump, an offshore wind opponent, preparing to return to the White House.
“We can only draw one logical conclusion: the Trump administration threatens the lifeblood of the offshore wind industry, namely, large government subsidies and less regulation,” the group Protect Our Coast NJ said in a statement.
There are currently two other preliminarily approved offshore wind projects in New Jersey. Paulina O’Connor, executive director of the New Jersey Offshore Wind Alliance, said the industry’s future is promising. “There is no shortage of challenges to advancing a new industry through market-wide shifts, but the fundamentals of offshore wind in New Jersey remain strong,” she said.
Sources:
[1] Supply chain woes could delay a New Jersey offshore wind project— again https://www.renewableenergyworld.com/wind-power/offshore/supply-chain-woes-could-delay-a-new-jersey-offshore-wind-project-again/
