Former B.L. England Coal Plant Demolished to Make Way for Offshore Wind Farms
Demolition includes 463-foot smokestack as waterfront site prepares for role as connection point for New Jersey's planned offshore wind farms, amid considerable local opposition.
- The former B.L. England coal-fired power plant, a noted local landmark in Upper Township, New Jersey, was imploded on October 26, 2023, following its closure in May 2019 due to a global shift away from burning fossil fuels.
- The 463-foot-tall smokestack, the last significant remainder of the plant, was brought down by explosives, clearing the site on Great Egg Harbor Bay for its future role as an energy hub.
- The site is set to become the connection point for several of New Jersey's planned offshore wind farms, thanks to already-existing connections to the electrical grid in the vicinity.
- A cable from the first of these wind farms, to be constructed by energy company Orsted, will arrive on a beach in Ocean City and connect to the grid at the B.L. England site.
- Despite the planned developments, the project has sparked substantial opposition from locals in Ocean City and other Jersey Shore communities, who express their disapproval in court and public opinion.
The Philadelphia Inquirer 
Washington Post 
Associated Press 
