The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) approved a mutual agreement to terminate the State Agreement Approach (SAA) agreement with PJM Interconnection (PJM), the regional transmission organization, effectively ending the coordinated offshore wind transmission planning framework that had been established to support New Jersey’s offshore wind goals. The termination reflects the significant uncertainty facing New Jersey’s offshore wind sector following the cancellation of multiple projects, including the 2.4-GW Leading Light Wind project, and the broader federal regulatory challenges affecting the industry. The SAA had been a pioneering approach to coordinated offshore transmission planning intended to reduce costs and environmental impacts by enabling shared transmission infrastructure. The BPU’s decision raises questions about how and whether offshore wind transmission will be planned and built in the region going forward. New Jersey had previously established a goal of procuring 11 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2040, but the state’s offshore wind portfolio has been substantially diminished by project cancellations and federal obstacles. More information can be found here.
