New Jersey Clean Energy Guide
New Jersey has set one of the most ambitious offshore wind targets in the nation at 11,000 MW and aims for 100% clean energy by 2035. The state is a top-15 solar state despite limited land, driving innovation in rooftop and community solar deployment.
Source: American Clean Power Association
Last updated: July 2, 2026
Grid Operator: PJM
New Jersey operates within PJM Interconnection and has been active in advocating for transmission infrastructure to support offshore wind and other clean energy integration.
Learn more about PJMOffshore Wind Leadership
New Jersey has the most ambitious offshore wind target on the East Coast at 11,000 MW by 2040. The state awarded contracts for multiple projects and invested in port infrastructure, but every award has since been cancelled, leaving no offshore wind capacity under contract, and the state cancelled its fourth solicitation in February 2025.
Cancelled Projects
- Ocean Wind 1: 1,100 MW project cancelled by Ørsted in October 2023; the developer paid the state a $125M settlement in 2024
- Atlantic Shores: 1,510 MW Project 1 contract terminated by NJ BPU in August 2025
- Leading Light Wind: 2,400 MW project cancelled by Invenergy in November 2025
- Attentive Energy: 1,342 MW award defunct; federal lease cancelled via a March 2026 settlement
Port Infrastructure
New Jersey invested over $600 million in port facilities to support offshore wind manufacturing and staging. The New Jersey Wind Port at Salem was designed for turbine marshalling and manufacturing, but its anticipated turbine factory never began production and the port is now the subject of a legal dispute, while the monopile fabrication facility at Paulsboro wound down in 2024 after its customer projects were cancelled.
Solar Market Leadership
Despite being a small, densely populated state, New Jersey has built one of the largest solar markets in the country. The state's innovative approach includes rooftop solar, community solar, and grid supply projects on landfills and brownfields.
Successor Solar Incentive Program
New Jersey's Successor Solar Incentive (SuSI) program replaced the earlier SREC market with a more structured incentive framework. The program includes separate incentive levels for residential, commercial, community solar, and grid supply projects.
Energy Storage Mandate
New Jersey has set a target of 2,000 MW of energy storage by 2030. The state is developing incentive programs and market rules to support battery deployment for grid reliability, renewable integration, and peak demand reduction.
Key Developers Active in New Jersey
- Sunrun: Residential solar leader
- CS Energy: Grid supply solar developer
- SJI Clean Energy: Solar and storage developer
Challenges & Outlook
New Jersey faces challenges including offshore wind project cancellations and cost pressures, limited land for utility-scale solar, transmission constraints for clean energy integration, and high electricity costs affecting project economics.
Despite setbacks in offshore wind, the state's strong policy framework, storage mandate, and solar market position it for continued clean energy growth. Success in offshore wind, despite current headwinds, remains critical for achieving the 2035 clean energy goal.
Latest New Jersey Clean Energy News
Headlines update throughout the day from our monitored industry and local sources. See the full daily briefing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are New Jersey's clean energy goals?
New Jersey aims for 100% clean energy by 2035 and has set one of the most aggressive offshore wind targets in the nation at 11,000 MW by 2040. The state also has significant solar deployment goals and storage mandates.
How is offshore wind developing in New Jersey?
New Jersey awarded contracts for offshore wind projects totaling over 7,500 MW, but every award has since been cancelled — including Ocean Wind (2023), Atlantic Shores (2025), Leading Light Wind (2025), and Attentive Energy (2026) — leaving the state with no offshore wind capacity under contract. Port infrastructure built at Salem and Paulsboro to support the industry has stalled, with the Paulsboro fabrication facility wound down.
What makes New Jersey a solar leader?
New Jersey has about 5.5 GW of installed solar, ranking 13th nationally, supported by its Successor Solar Incentive (SuSI) program — which replaced the SREC market in 2021 — along with net metering and community solar. The state's limited land has driven innovative deployment on rooftops, parking canopies, and brownfields.
What is the state's energy storage mandate?
New Jersey has mandated 2,000 MW of energy storage by 2030 and is developing incentive programs to support deployment. Storage is seen as critical for integrating variable renewable generation and improving grid reliability.