South Amboy Mayor Fred Henry (left) and Rise Light & Power CEO Clint Plummer review future plans to transform the former coal-fired Werner Generating Station into a clean energy hub.

Rise is proposing to build the Outerbridge Renewable Connector. Rise recently completed acquisition of the site of the former E.H. Werner Power Station in South Amboy, New Jersey, and plans to redevelop the site as a renewable energy hub serving as a central interconnection point for offshore wind farms. With Rise’s ongoing remediation efforts, the project will also lead to the elimination of a once-contaminated brownfield site dating back to the 1930s.

The acquisition of the former Werner coal plant continues Rise’s mission to transform aging energy infrastructure into hubs of clean energy. Rise is currently advancing the clean energy transformation of New York City’s largest power plant, the Ravenswood Generating Station, to host several green infrastructure projects, including battery storage and renewable transmission solutions.

Today, after months of consultations with elected leaders, policymakers, offshore wind developers, environmental advocates, labor, business, fishing interests, and other stakeholders, Rise submitted to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) and PJM Interconnection the innovative Outerbridge Renewable Connector plan.

“Rise Light & Power is committed to helping New Jersey achieve its ambitious clean energy goals,” said Clint Plummer, CEO of Rise Light & Power. “The state’s bold vision calls for a responsible, affordable solution to delivering offshore wind energy to the state electric grid. Outerbridge solves the challenge of finding appropriate and acceptable cable landing sites by using existing infrastructure that avoids siting transmission lines in sensitive areas like residential neighborhoods and recreational beaches.”

“Governor Murphy positioned New Jersey as a leader in transitioning to clean energy and we are proud to play an integral part in his goal for the state to obtain 50 percent of its power from clean sources by 2030,” said South Amboy Mayor Fred Henry, who supports the project. “The Outerbridge Renewable Connector is the only project in our state that can deliver clean offshore wind to our residents without the controversy of disturbing beaches and communities. Outerbridge is also a major economic generator for South Amboy that will create good-paying local jobs and support our community as a major taxpayer. This is the kind of partner and project South Amboy is proud to endorse.”

The 26-acre, industrially-zoned site was retired as a fossil-fueled power plant in 2015. The site on Raritan Bay features an existing substation and switchyard, rail and highway access, a pier with expansion potential and unobstructed access to the Atlantic Ocean with 24 acres of submerged lands.

Once offshore wind energy is delivered to the new clean energy hub at South Amboy, Outerbridge would function as a giant extension cord, delivering clean energy to the local power grid through upgraded grid infrastructure on the site and to the Deans Substation through buried cables along an existing railroad right of way. The power cables will be entirely underground. A proposed battery energy-storage system offers the opportunity for further reliability to the grid.

News item from Rise Light & Power