The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) has voted unanimously to open the application window for the State’s second solicitation of offshore wind capacity. This second solicitation seeks to award between 1,200 MW and 2,400 MW of offshore wind energy, potentially tripling the State’s committed capacity from 1,100 MW to 3,500 MW.
In opening the second solicitation, the Board put forth its Second Solicitation Guidance Document, which was developed through a public stakeholder process and provides the solicitation’s mechanics and timeline, project application requirements, and evaluation criteria. The application window opened on September 10, 2020 and closes on December 10, 2020. The Board anticipates awarding the resulting offshore wind projects in June 2021. NJBPU will vote in 2022 to open a third solicitation for offshore wind of at least 1,200 MW. Solicitations will open every two years until 2028.