A major energy developer is abandoning an offshore wind project in New Jersey, citing the Trump EPA's decision to revoke the project's permits and White House actions clamping down on future offshore wind development.
In a filing published Tuesday, France-based EDF Renewables requested that New Jersey state regulators cancel an existing power supply contract related to its Atlantic Shores 1 wind project, a move that effectively suspends the project for the foreseeable future. The developer blamed uncertainty it says President Donald Trump's actions have caused and suggested it preferred to ditch the project altogether rather than fight the president's actions.
In a day-one executive order, Trump directed the Department of the Interior to review its permitting process for offshore wind projects and paused future leasing for such projects. That order doesn't interfere with the development of already-permitted projects—two months after Trump's order, however, the EPA revoked environmental permits Atlantic Shores received in October 2024.
EDF's decision to suspend its New Jersey project represents a significant victory for offshore wind critics who worry such development could decimate populations of marine wildlife like the endangered North Atlantic right whale, interfere with military operations, and threaten maritime industries like fishing and freight transportation. And it is simultaneously a blow to climate activists who see offshore wind as a critical tool in decreasing dependence on fossil fuels.
Atlantic Shores—which the Biden-era Interior Department formally approved in July 2024, would have generated up to 1,500 megawatts of power, and was slated for construction just 8.7 miles off the southern New Jersey coast—was 1 of 11 offshore wind projects the Biden administration greenlit between 2021 and 2024 as part of its quest to decarbonize the U.S. power grid.
"Due to the uncertainty caused by the presidential wind memorandum, the subsequent loss of the air permit, and other actions taken by the current administration more generally, petitioner’s parent company has been forced to materially reduce its personnel, terminate contracts, and cancel planned project investments," the company's filing stated.
"This filing marks the closing of a chapter, but not the end for Atlantic Shores," Atlantic Shores CEO Joris Veldhoven said in a statement to the Washington Free Beacon. "Offshore wind continues to offer New Jersey a strong value proposition that includes thousands of good paying jobs, stable power prices, and real economic benefits."
Veldhoven added that Atlantic Shores "stands ready to deliver high-capacity factor projects that will safeguard American business interests, support energy security, and improve quality of life for millions of Garden State residents." It remains unclear what EDF Renewables's future plan for Atlantic Shores is.
The Biden EPA's air permits for Atlantic Shores allowed EDF Renewables to construct 200 offshore wind turbines, up to 8 offshore substations to collect the electricity produced, and the associated cables needed to transport the electricity to New Jersey consumers.
"This is a huge win for South Jersey," said Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R., N.J.), a prominent critic of offshore wind development. "For years, we have been fighting to protect our coastline, our economy, and our communities from these reckless offshore wind projects. Atlantic Shores stepping away means there will be no wind farms built off the coast of Southern New Jersey and that is exactly the outcome we have been fighting for."
The Atlantic Shores announcement is the latest blow for offshore wind development in New Jersey—it comes less than two years after a Denmark-based energy firm canceled development of its Ocean Wind offshore wind projects off the coast of New Jersey, citing macroeconomic factors, including high inflation, supply chain bottlenecks, and rising interest rates.
"Every time an offshore wind company walks away from a U.S. project, it's a great day for all of us who make our living from the sea and love the ocean, and Atlantic Shores is no exception," Bonnie Brady, the executive director of the Long Island Commercial Fishing Association, told the Free Beacon, adding that the Trump administration should void all existing offshore wind leases.