Leading Light Wind submits 2.4GW US wind & storage bid

Leading Light Wind has submitted a 2.4GW offshore wind project bid - including a 253MW energy storage option - to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU). 

The proposed project will be located more than 40 miles off the coast and will power up to 1 million New Jersey homes and offset more than 4 million tons of carbon dioxide annually during its operation, a Leading Light Wind statement said. 

The statement added: “Leading Light Wind will also support thousands of family-sustaining jobs over its operational life and represents over $3 billion in economic development benefits for the Garden State, including transformational offshore wind infrastructure and supply chain investments.” 

Leading Light Wind is proposing supply chain and infrastructure investments that include a wind turbine generator tower manufacturing facility and the performance of marshalling activities at the New Jersey Wind Port. In addition, an expansion of the EEW American Offshore Structures monopile manufacturing facility, as well as the development of an in-state operations and maintenance port have also been proposed. The plan also includes a battery storage option that would provide 253 MW of “advanced energy storage to facilitate grid and ratepayer benefits”.

Leading Light Wind is a partnership between lead developer Invenergy and co-developer energyRe.

“Leading Light Wind exemplifies Invenergy’s dedication to American-led energy innovation and our unmatched ability to increase U.S. competitiveness in the offshore wind market,” said Bryan Schueler, senior executive vice president and construction business leader for Invenergy. 

Ryan Brown, chief operating officer for energyRe, said: “Leading Light Wind is ready to build out a world-leading domestic offshore wind industry with American-led ingenuity and expertise. Our proposal for New Jersey represents critical investments in energy infrastructure, local resiliency, and a just transition to a green economy.”

‍