Fishermen’s Energy receives federal grant

Written by Staff Reports Saturday, December 22, 2012 10:44 pm

CAPE MAY – Fishermen’s Energy has been selected by the US Department of Energy (DOE) to receive up to $4 million to complete the engineering, site evaluation, and planning phase of their project off Atlantic City.

Upon completion of this phase, the Cape May-based company will be eligible for $47 million in grants for follow-on design, fabrication, and deployment phases to achieve commercial operation by 2017.

Fishermen’s Energy has all federal and state permits necessary for construction of the first demonstration offshore windfarm to be built in the United States, making Atlantic City the birthplace of offshore wind in the Americas. Construction in Atlantic City is planned to commence onshore in 2013 with offshore construction and commissioning by Fishermen’s of the first grid connected US offshore windfarm in 2014.

“Fishermen’s Energy is honored to receive this award. Being selected in a national competitive process is a tremendous acknowledgement of support for the project,” said Chris Wissemann, CEO of Fishermen’s Energy.

Wissemann said the project will create hundreds of jobs, help to rebuild New Jersey’s infrastructure and attract a new industry to New Jersey helping to reinvigorate the economy.

“This project also positions New Jersey as a leader in driving the long term energy solution,” he said.

“This project is the catalyst needed to jumpstart the offshore wind industry in New Jersey and it sends the right signals to manufacturers that New Jersey is open for business," said Rhonda Jackson, communications director of Fishermen’s Energy. ”We all need to act urgently to support the development of the first round of offshore wind projects in the United States in order to capture a new American manufacturing opportunity and create tens of thousands of new American jobs. Newly created manufacturing facilities and the associated jobs will be located in some of the areas of our country where they are needed most, near our ports.”

Fishermen’s Energy was founded by New Jersey commercial fishermen. Its goal is to turn Atlantic coastal waters into a source of clean energy.