New Jersey’s offshore wind ambitions are on the verge of collapse after two projects announced setbacks Thursday.
The day began with an announcement from Shell that it was pausing its involvement in a project under development near Atlantic City. Then a second wind developer, Attentive Energy, filed a request for a stay with utility regulators seeking to defer a compliance payment with the state, citing difficulty securing an interconnection site and delays in federal permitting.
The developments represent a blow to Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat who is trying to pass a 100 percent clean electricity standard in the Legislature, and illustrates the uncertainty facing offshore wind after President Donald Trump’s return to the White House. Trump signed an executive order freezing offshore wind permitting on his first day back in office.
“Elections have consequences,” said state Sen. Bob Smith, a Democrat who leads the Senate Environment and Energy Committee. “We have a guy running a country who stated repeatedly that he is going to do everything he can to hinder renewable energy, wind or solar.”
