Wind Farm Developers Hire Companies To Connect To Power Grid: Report

OCEAN CITY, NJ — Ocean Wind 1 has signed contracts with companies that will connect the offshore energy farm to the electrical grid on land, according a report by AP News.

Ocean Wind 1 hired JINGOLI Power, LLC and Burns & McDonnell Engineering Company, Inc. to build electrical substations on land and run power lines from the wind farm to land, the report said. This marks a new milestone in the controversial project.

The project, run as a joint venture between Danish energy company Orsted and PSEG, has drawn plenty of criticism from Ocean City residents who fear the impact of Ocean Wind 1 on tourism and the environment. Read More: Ocean City Residents Launch Petition Against Offshore Wind Farm

The contracts awarded include installation of two high-voltage substations and nearly 9 miles of underground cable that will connect the offshore wind farm to the onshore electric grid, according to the report.

The project could provide enough power for 500,000 homes, according to a press release.

“The awarding of these construction contracts marks significant milestones in moving the state’s first offshore wind project forward,” Grant van Wyngaarden, head of procurement for Orsted North America, said in a press release.

“Offshore wind is critical to helping New Jersey achieve its clean energy ambitions and these agreements mark a significant step in the process,” added Lathrop Craig, PSEG’s vice president of wind development, in a release.

JINGOLI Power is installing an underground electric cable in Ocean City that will connect to the grid at the former B.L. England power plant in Upper Township, the report said.

Publicly preserved open space land would be used to bring the line ashore in Ocean City. This land would be replaced nearby, according to the report.

Burns & McDonnell Engineering Company, Inc. is installing a substation in Upper Township that will connect to a nearby Atlantic City substation, the report said.

According to AP News, the company will also install a substation at the former Oyster Creek power plant in Lacey Township. It will connect to a nearby First Energy substation. An underground cable will run from the landfall point to the substation. The landfall point will be either near Oyster Creek or in one of two spots in neighboring Waretown.