Studies have indicated that ∼1000 MW(e) of base-load generation must be installed each year, beginning in the early 1980’s, if the demand for power in New Jersey is to be met. Nuclear power is the proper choice for these base-load installations, but in New Jersey, which has the densest population of any state in the Union, there are few remaining sites for nuclear generation stations. In addition to the dense population, the lack of available water supplies for cooling make siting of any base-load station (nuclear or fossil fired) very difficult Even when suitable sites can be found, licensing and construction delays are steadily increasing. These problems are not unique to New Jersey; they are shared to a greater or lesser degree by many utilities operating along the heavily populated coastal areas. Offshore siting of base-load generating stations can provide an answer to utilities beset by these problems of population, cooling water, and licensing. This approach to siting presents unique opportunities to minimize construction costs by plant standardization and “serial” manufacturing. It also poses new design problems of plant motion, operation in a marine environment, plant size envelope, and coordination of plant and site design and licensing.