Ocean Wind 1, the state’s first offshore wind project, took a major step forward Friday, when it passed a major state permitting milestone when the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection issued a federal consistency determination, concluding the plans for Ocean Wind 1 are consistent with the enforceable policies of the Coastal Zone Management Program.

The department’s Division of Land Resource Protection also issued the first four permits for construction and operation of Ocean Wind 1: the Waterfront Development Permit, Coastal Areas Facility Review Act Permit, Coastal Wetlands Permit and Freshwater Wetlands Permit.

In simple terms, the federal consistency determination confirms that the DEP agrees that construction of Ocean Wind 1 will be conducted in a manner consistent with the CZMP, while the Division of Land Resource Protection affirms that the proposed plans for Ocean Wind 1 sufficiently avoid and minimize impacts to New Jersey’s natural resources. Read more from ROI-NJ.