New Jersey Governor Expands Offshore Wind Goal to 11 Gigawatts by 2040

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy on Sept. 21 signed an executive order, increasing the state’s offshore wind target to 11,000 megawatts (MW) by 2040, nearly double the existing goal of 7.5 gigawatts by 2035. The order  instructs the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities to examine the viability of raising the target further.

In addition to the executive order, Governor Murphy also announced the issuance of two reports.  The Green Jobs for a Sustainable Future report, created by the New Jersey Council on the Green Economy, in collaboration with the Governor’s Office of Climate Action and the Green Economy, summarizes proposals and strategies for expanding a demographically representative and inclusive green workforce as New Jersey pursues its clean energy outlook. Governor Murphy instructed the council to create the report in order to support diversity and an opening in the green economy for environmental justice populations while making roadmaps to green jobs more available for workers, especially union members. The second report, an evaluation of offshore wind jobs emphasizes $10 million in new investments, which will direct and assist the state as it plans to implement a one-year action plan intended to create jobs in the expanding clean energy economy.

The board will examine the viability and benefits of further expanding the offshore wind target and provide strategies within a year from the effective date of the executive order for an updated target. This will further aid the attainment of New Jersey’s clean energy objective and the sustained growth of the offshore wind industry in the state.

The announcements made by the New Jersey Governor during Climate Week at a U.S. Climate Alliance event together with New York Governor Kathy Hochul, emphasises Governor Murphy’s dedication to developing a comprehensive green workforce and attaining a 100-percent clean energy state by 2050.

The state has set a timeline for accomplishing the initial 7,500 MW by 2035 that incorporates a fourth competitive solicitation of 1,200 MW to be issued in the second quarter of 2024, a fifth solicitation of 1,400 MW to be issued in the second quarter of 2026, and a sixth solicitation of 1,400 MW to be issued in the first quarter of 2028.