ATLANTIC CITY, NJ – New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s offshore wind energy project is sinking fast. After major previous setbacks, the project was dealt a death blow this week by the Environmental Protection Agency.
In a significant setback for renewable energy development along the U.S. East Coast, an administrative appeals board has invalidated a critical air pollution permit for the Atlantic Shores South offshore wind farm near the New Jersey Shore.
The decision, reported by Bloomberg, comes just seven weeks after President Donald Trump publicly expressed his desire to see the project halted, calling it “dead and gone” in a January statement following his inauguration.
According to Bloomberg’s Jennifer A. Dlouhy, the ruling remands an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) permit that had been issued nearly six months ago to Atlantic Shores, a joint venture between Shell New Energies US LLC and EDF Renewables North America.
The permit, essential for the wind farm’s construction and operation, was voided in what Dlouhy describes as “the boldest strike yet against a wind farm” since Trump took office and imposed a freeze on federal permitting for such projects (Bloomberg, “Key Permit for New Jersey Wind Farm Trump Opposes Is Voided,” March 14, 2025).
The Atlantic Shores South project, intended to harness wind energy off the New Jersey coast, has been a focal point of contention. Trump, who has consistently opposed offshore wind initiatives, singled out this venture for scrutiny in a January 23 social media post, decrying what he called a “large scale Windmill DISASTER off the coast of Southern New Jersey.”
His administration’s subsequent actions, including the permitting freeze, signaled a broader push against renewable energy projects that conflict with his energy policy priorities.
The appeals board’s decision is notable not only for its timing but also for its rarity.
Bloomberg notes that overturning an EPA air permit months after issuance is an unusual move, underscoring the heightened scrutiny facing offshore wind under the current administration. The voided permit disrupts plans for a project that proponents argue could provide clean energy to thousands of homes, reduce carbon emissions, and bolster the region’s renewable energy infrastructure.
The remand leaves the future of Atlantic Shores South uncertain, with the EPA now tasked with revisiting the permit process under a cloud of political pressure. Shell and EDF Renewables North America have not yet commented publicly on next steps, but industry observers suggest the companies may face an uphill battle to revive the project amidst the Trump administration’s opposition.
