United States Senators from the State of New Jersey, Bob Menendez and Cory Booker, have responded to the Department of Energy’s (DOE) announcement on Fishermen’s Energy Atlantic City Wind Farm (FACW).
The project has been granted a no-cost extension until the end of the year to secure a power offtake agreement and continue to receive funding as one of DOE’s Offshore Wind Advanced Technology Demonstration Projects.
“As the realities of climate change come sharply into focus, it is vital that we find new and innovative ways to harness clean, renewable forms of energy like offshore wind. I am pleased that the Department of Energy continues to recognize both the progress that Fishermen’s Energy has made towards making offshore wind in New Jersey a reality, as well as the importance of this project for our state, our region, and the nation,” said Sen. Menendez . “I urge the state to work with Fishermen’s Energy to incorporate this project into our energy mix. We cannot afford to let these opportunities to position New Jersey at the forefront of a new clean energy economy slip away from us.”
“I applaud the Department of Energy’s announcement that it will continue to support the Fishermen’s Energy Atlantic City Windfarm project,” said Sen. Booker . “We have the opportunity to harness the wind off our shores and provide New Jersey families clean, renewable energy, create good-paying jobs, and transition off of fossil fuels. Given the urgent threat of climate change and the enormous economic opportunity for our state, I will continue to advocate for projects like Fishermen’s Energy that will position New Jersey as a leader in our nation’s clean energy future.”
Fishermen’s Energy is currently in the second of five DOE funding stages, and has met all of the criteria to advance to the next stage once an offtake agreement is reached. As the project advances, it will be eligible for nearly $50 million in federal funding.
DOE estimates that the offshore wind farm will become operational in 2018, which would make it one of the first commercial offshore wind projects in the United States.