U.S. to Auction Site Off New Jersey Coast, Doubling Acreage of Offshore Wind Farms

摘要

The Interior Department plans to auction about 344,000 acres off the coast of New Jersey for offshore wind energy development. A fully developed New Jersey Wind Energy Area may provide as much as 3.4 gigawatts of power, enough for 1.2 million homes, the department said July 17 in an e-mailed statement. A 60-day public comment period on the proposed sale ends Sept. 19, the same day as the deadline for companies to submit applications. There are no offshore wind farms in U.S. waters, and the agency is seeking to encourage development. Efforts to install turbines at sea are moving slowly in the U.S. and in other regions.