EPA Issues Final Clean Air Act Permit for Atlantic Shores’ Project to Produce Offshore Wind Power for New Jersey
NEW JERSEY - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a Clean Air Act permit to Atlantic Shores, LLC to construct two offshore wind farms. The two permitted offshore wind farms will be on the Outer Continental Shelf located 8.7 miles from the New Jersey shoreline near Atlantic City, New Jersey. This area is regulated by the federal government and the project required an EPA permit. To ensure transparency, EPA sought and received public comment before the permit was finalized.
"EPA’s permit allows the construction of up to 200 new wind turbines which are expected to generate more than 2,800 megawatts of electrical power for the State of New Jersey – enough to power at least a million homes,” said Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “This project is in line with the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to invest in America and generate 30 gigawatts of clean, abundant energy from offshore wind by 2030.”
Atlantic Shores is planning to develop two wind farms. Atlantic Shores submitted one application, and the EPA has issued one final Outer Continental Shelf permit, for both wind farms. The Atlantic Shores projects will include up to 200 offshore wind turbines, up to eight small, five medium, or four large offshore substations to collect the electricity produced, and the associated cables needed to transport the electricity to the New Jersey shore. This project could generate approximately more than 2,800 megawatts of electrical power for the State of New Jersey. It will also include onshore components that are not addressed in the EPA air permit, such as onshore substations.
The EPA has determined that the construction and operation of the Atlantic Shores project will meet all Clean Air Act requirements, including provisions to protect air quality while a project is being constructed and while it operates. These include the National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the Prevention of Significant Deterioration, or PSD, requirements, Nonattainment New Source Review requirements, federal standards that apply to diesel engines, and relevant New Jersey State air regulations. Because of the Atlantic Shores project’s proximity to the Brigantine National Wilderness Area located in the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge in New Jersey, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was also involved in the review of this project.
The EPA held a public comment period for this permit from July 12 to August 16, 2024, and a virtual public hearing on August 12, 2024, to provide the public an opportunity to submit oral comments. The EPA reviewed all the public comments submitted and has responded to them in a separate document.
An electronic copy of the final permit and EPA’s response to comments, as well as the earlier draft permit and its accompanying public fact sheet are available on EPA's website at Clean Air Act Permits Issued By EPA Region 2 and at Regulations.gov under docket number EPA-R02-OAR-2024-0312.
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