Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind South, or Atlantic Shores South, is an offshore wind energy project located approximately 7.56 nautical miles (8.7 miles, 14 kilometers) off the coast of New Jersey between Atlantic City and Barnegat Light in the Atlantic Ocean. The project involves two phases: Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Project 1 and Project 2, both of which are located within Lease OCS-A 0499. Together, the projects will include up to 200 Wind Turbine Generators (WTGs). Project 1 will make landfall in Atlantic City, New Jersey at the Atlantic Landfall Site and connect to the Cardiff substation located in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey. Project 2 will make landfall in Sea Girt, New Jersey at the Monmouth Landfall Site and connect to the Larrabee substation located in Howell, New Jersey. The projects originally represented a 50:50 joint venture between Shell New Energies US, LLC and EDF-RE Offshore Development, LLC.
Atlantic Shores South's development process spans the last 10 years, from securing the lease in 2015 to obtaining approvals in 2024. During this period, the project encountered several challenges, such as community opposition and potential adverse impacts on marine mammals and fisheries. Despite these challenges, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) approved the project's Construction and Operations Plan (COP) in October 2024, permitting construction to begin. Project 1 is approved to have between 105-136 WTGs, with a capacity of 1,510 megawatts (MW). Project 2 is expected to have between 64-95 WTGs. The capacity for Project 2 is not yet determined, but Atlantic Shores has a goal of 1,327 MW.
Atlantic Shores South was awarded a contract by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) following a solicitation for 1,200-2,400 MW of offshore wind generation in 2021. The project is expected to provide 30% of the energy needed to help New Jersey meet its offshore wind energy target of 11,000 MW by 2040, as ordered by Governor Phil Murphy's Executive Order No. 307 in late 2022. As of the beginning of 2025, the project has received all approvals necessary to begin construction. Construction was estimated to begin in late 2025, but in February 2025, the project faced significant uncertainty after Shell withdrew from the joint venture, citing increased competition, delays, and shifting federal policies under the Trump administration. The future of Atlantic Shores South was further complicated by the New Jersey BPU's decision not to award new offshore wind contracts in a planned Fourth Solicitation, which was influenced by Shell's departure and recent federal policy shifts. Following these decisions, EDF Renewables, the remaining partner, recorded a €934 million impairment (approximately $980 million) but reaffirmed its commitment to the project.
Development timeline The Atlantic Shores South Project 1 follows a four-phase development timeline: Early Development & Planning (2011–2022), Environmental Review & Permitting (2021–2024), Record of Decision & Approvals (2021–2024), and Construction & Installation (2025–2028). The project began with BOEM’s leasing process in 2011, progressing through environmental assessments and lease transfers, before forming a 50:50 joint venture between EDF Renewables and Shell New Energies US in 2019. Regulatory milestones include permit applications in 2021, a Draft EIS in 2023, and a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in 2024, culminating in BOEM’s approval of the Construction and Operations Plan (COP) in October 2024. However, in February 2025, Shell withdrew from the project, leaving EDF Renewables as the sole developer. Around the same time, New Jersey’s BPU rejected new offshore wind projects in its Fourth Solicitation, and President Donald Trump issued an executive order restricting new permits, casting uncertainty over whether construction—originally scheduled for late 2025—will proceed as planned.
Early development and planning:
April 2011: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) releases Call for Information and Nominations to assess interest in Call Area, and BOEM designates the Wind Energy Area (WEA). February 2012: Environmental Assessment completed with Findings of No Significant Impact. November 2015: BOEM holds lease auction for Lease Area OSC-A 0499. RES America and U.S. Wind, Inc. win leases in the sale. December 2018: BOEM approves an application to assign 100 percent of Lease Area OCS-A 0499 to EDF Renewables Development, Inc. August 2019: BOEM approves an application to assign 100 percent of Lease Area OCS-A 0499 to Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind, LLC. April 2021: BOEM approves the Site Assessment Plan. April 2022: BOEM approves a partial assignment of the southern portion of Lease OCS-A 0499 to Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Project 1, LLC. The northern portion of OCS-A 0499 is retained by Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind, LLC and given a new lease number (OCS-A 0549).
Environmental review and Permitting
March 2021: Atlantic Shores submits initial Construction and Operations Plan. May 2023: BOEM releases Draft EIS. December 2023: United States Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service issue Biological Opinions for Endangered Species Act-listed species within their jurisdictions. NMFS designates the lease area as a critical habitat for the North Atlantic Right Whale. May 2024: BOEM releases Final EIS
Record of decision and approvals
June 2021: The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities awards Atlantic Shores an Offshore Renewable Energy Credit. July 2024: BOEM and other federal agencies issue joint Record of Decision. October 2024: BOEM approves final COP and NOAA issues an Incidental Take Authorization.
Construction and installation
February 2025: Shell New Energies US, LLC announces that it is ceasing development with the project. February 2025: EDF Renewables records a €934 million impairment related to the project. Late 2025: Anticipated start of construction. 2028: Anticipated completion of construction.
Lease area
Location
Atlantic Shores South, which includes Project 1 and Project 2, is located on Commercial Lease OCS-A 0499. The leased area comprises 183,353 acres (286 sq mi, 742 sq km). The project is situated within the southern portion of Lease Area OCS-A 0499. Projects 1 and 2 will be located in a 102,124 acre Wind Turbine Area (WTA) section of the lease area. Project 1 occupies the western 54,175 acres of the WTA. Project 2 is located in the eastern 31,847 acres of the WTA. There is a 16,102 acre overlap area that can be used for either Project 1 or Project 2. The WTA's closest point is approximately 7.56 nautical miles (8.7 mi, 14 km) from the New Jersey shoreline between Atlantic City and Barnegat Light.
History of lease area In 2009, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) initiated the renewable energy program (authorized under the Energy Policy Act of 2005), which provides a structure for regional planning and analysis, lease issuance, site assessment, and construction and operations. Also in 2009, BOEM formed the BOEM/New Jersey Renewable Energy Task Force for coordination among affected federal agencies, as well as state, local, and tribal governments, throughout the leasing process. In 2012, BOEM published a Final Environmental Assessment (EA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for commercial wind lease issuance and site assessment activities on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) offshore New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. In 2014, BOEM published a Proposed Sale Notice (PSN) for the area of the continental shelf that includes Lease OCS-A-0499 and Lease OCS-A 0498. Then, in September 2015, BOEM published a Final Sale Notice for the commercial lease sale of the Wind Energy Area (WEA) offshore New Jersey.
On November 9, 2015, BOEM held a competitive lease sale for the WEA offshore New Jersey, auctioning two separate lease areas (OCS-A 0498 and OCS-A 0499). The auction received a total of $1,866,955 in high bids across both areas over seven rounds. US Wind Inc. submitted the highest live bid of $1,006,240, specifically for the North Lease Area (OCS-A 0499), and was awarded the lease. Lease OCS-A 0499 became effective on March 1, 2016. BOEM approved requests to extend the preliminary term on June 10, 2016, and February 14, 2018. The lease then changed hands multiple times. In 2018, US Wind Inc. sold their leasing rights to EDF Renewables for $215 million, plus a deferred variable payment. EDF Renewables is a subsidiary of the French utility EDF group, who develops and finances the construction of renewable energy facilities. In 2019, BOEM approved a new assignment of the lease area to Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind, LLC. A 50:50 joint venture with Shell New Energies was created to share financial responsibilities while developing the project, but Shell dropped its involvement in February 2025. Following the sale to Atlantic Shores, the initial lease area—OCS-A 0499—was then divided into two separate lease areas in 2021. Atlantic Shores assigned the southern portion of the lease area to Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Project 1, LLC and Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Project 2, LLC. Each project has a 50 percent interest to better manage the development and operations of the wind facilities, aligning with New Jersey BPU's goals for the project. The northern section of the original lease area received a new lease number—OCS-A 0549—and was assigned as "Atlantic Shores North." The lease operations term for OCS-A 0499 extends 25 years from the approval of the Construction and Operations Plan (COP), which was granted in 2024, meaning the lease is valid until 2049. The yearly rent for the lease area is $550,059.
Regulatory and permitting process Three critical parts of the regulatory and permitting process are the Construction and Operations Plan (COP), the Site Assessment Plan (SAP), and the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The SAP was approved by BOEM in April 2021, allowing for the installation of two meteorological buoys to collect data. Atlantic Shores South's COP was submitted to BOEM in March 2021. The most recent update was provided in June 2024, and it was approved in October 2024, enabling construction to begin on the project. A Notice of Availability (NOA) for the final EIS was published in May 2024. A significant gap exists between the final EIS and previous work in 2021, partly because the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) designated the lease area as a critical habitat for the North Atlantic Right Whale, a species protected under the Endangered Species Act. In response, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued final regulations in October 2024 governing the incidental harassment of marine mammals during construction. The associated Letter of Authorization (LOA), effective from January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2029, permits Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Project 1, LLC to incidentally take marine mammals (whales, dolphins, seals) during construction and operations.
Site assessment plan In December 2019, Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind submitted a site assessment plan (SAP) for the installation, operation, and decommissioning of two floating light detection and ranging (FLiDAR) buoys. Following a series of revisions from February to November 2020, the plan received final approval in 2021. The SAP details the technical specifications of the SEAWATCH buoys, their mooring systems, power supply, and instrumentation for measuring wind speed, ocean currents, and atmospheric conditions. The buoys are intended to collect meteorological data and oceanographic conditions in the lease area, which will be used to support offshore wind energy development in the region.