The U.S. Department of Energy has promised up to $47 million to a Chinese backed windmill project that has already been rejected twice by New Jersey regulators, but Tuesday the $200 million Atlantic City offshore project moves one step closer to realization.
And with a shake of the hand and click of an iPad the U.S. Department of Energy and Fishermen's Energy executed an agreement to fund a $47 Million towards an offshore wind project.
"We're excited to have the support of essentially the U.S. Congress and the department of energy. This is a real milestone that makes this project one step closer to being real," expressed Fishermen's Energy CEO Chris Wisseman.
"The department is truly committed to this industry and we're 100% in line with the Fishermen's team. We're really confident they will make this succeed," said Jose Zayas, Director for the U.S. Department of Energy.
U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, state senator Jim Whelan and Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian were among the federal, state and local officials in attendance at the signing ceremony Tuesday.
"Following Superstorm Sandy I can't think of a better state than New Jersey to lead the nation towards a clean energy economy and the Fishermen's Atlantic City Wind Farm does just that," said U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, (R) New Jersey.
The grant from the U.S. Department of Energy will help Fishermen's Energy erect 5 direct–drive wind turbines approximately 2.8 miles off the Atlantic City coast.
Under the plan, five wind turbines would generate 25 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 10,000 homes.
"This is great news for offshore wind in New Jersey, its great news for Atlantic City, because offshore wind just has tremendous potential,” expressed Doug O'Malley, Director of Environment, New Jersey.
"It will put NJ on the cutting edge of energy innovation and potential new energy start up that might one day become the new energy giant all while creating the type of jobs we need to compete in the 21st century global economy," said Menendez.
There are currently no offshore wind farms in the United States at this time. The energy department selected fishermen's energy as one of three windmill projects.
Fishermen's energy had hoped to begin the $200 million project in state waters, but the project has been stalled in a legal battle with the state board of public utilities over perceived costs to ratepayers.