The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) has ordered Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) to delay by two-and-a-half years its State Agreement Approach (SAA) transmission projects, pushing the final in-service date from June 2030 to January 2033.
The move follows a January 2025 Presidential Memorandum halting new federal permits for offshore wind pending a review, and a July 2025 Department of the Interior order setting a 45-day deadline for that review. These actions have already delayed projects awarded in the state’s Third Offshore Wind Solicitation, raising doubts over near-term viability.
JCP&L had planned to spend $380 million on construction this summer under a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission-approved agreement with PJM Interconnection. The New Jersey Division of Rate Counsel warned that advancing now risked burdening ratepayers with unused assets, urging a pause similar to that taken by New York.
The BPU stopped short of reopening the SAA review but directed JCP&L, PJM, and other developers to defer all possible spending until federal permitting timelines are clearer, while retaining flexibility to resume work when conditions improve.
