The US State of New Jersey has announced the cancellation of its fourth offshore wind auction. The State’s Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) explained that uncertainty driven by federal actions and permitting, as well as the withdrawal of two of the three bids presented, as the reasons behind the decision to not proceed with an award for the tender.
The Round 4 solicitation was launched in May 2024, seeking to allocate between 1.2 GW and 4 GW of capacity. The tender attracted proposals from TotalEnergies with Corio and Rise Light & Power, from a consortium of RWE and National Grid (Community Offshore Wind), and from a consortium of Shell with EDF Renewables (Atlantic Shores). Since then, the first two consortiums have withdrawn from the bidding process, leaving Atlantic Shores as the only remaining bid (and without the participation of Shell, which announced its withdrawal from the joint venture).
In January 2025, the new US administration issued an Executive Order to pause offshore wind leasing on the US Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) and mandated a review of the federal government’s leasing and permitting practices for wind projects. The order also discontinued the issuance of new or renewed approvals, rights of way, permits, leases, or loans for onshore and offshore wind projects until “a comprehensive assessment and review of Federal wind leasing and permitting practices” is completed.
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