OFFSHORE SITING AND TIMING
When will the offshore wind energy projects start generating electricity?
Large-scale offshore wind projects must pass a series of federal and state legally-mandated environmental and economic reviews, which can take several years. New Jersey’s first offshore wind power is expected to come online as early as 2024.
As of 2019, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities selected Ocean Wind, a project of Ørsted, to be the first offshore wind farm for New Jersey.
Will I be able to see the wind turbines from the Jersey shore?
Visibility depends on conditions like cloud cover, humidity, time of day, wind, and distance from shore. Turbines built in the eastern portions of the lease areas may be noticeable from shore on some days, but they will be tiny slivers on the horizon even on the clearest days.
When are the windiest times of day/night?
The windiest times of day in the Atlantic off New Jersey correspond directly to the periods of highest electricity demand – late afternoon and early evening. The windiest season is the winter, when offshore winds blow the hardest, making offshore wind energy the perfect complement to solar energy, which produces the most at mid-day and in the summer.