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New Jersey targets 3.5GW by 2030

4C Offshore | Tom Russell
By: Tom Russell 01/02/2018 Governor Phil Murphy
4C OffshoreNew Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has signed an Executive Order directing the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities to fully implement the Offshore Wind Economic Development Act (OWEDA) and begin the process of moving the state toward a goal of 3.5GW of offshore wind energy generation by the year 2030.

“Little progress has been made on offshore wind development in New Jersey despite a pledge from the previous administration to facilitate our growth of offshore wind,”
Governor Murphy said. “We cannot allow for stagnation in this growing sector of our energy economy and we cannot lose sight of the tremendous opportunity for offshore wind at the Jersey Shore. With this Executive Order, we begin the process of making New Jersey a leader in offshore wind, a critical step toward achieving our clean energy goals.”

In 2010, Governor Christie signed OWEDA, a piece of legislation allowing state agencies to craft an Offshore Wind Renewable Energy Credit (OREC) program. But despite OWEDA being signed eight years ago, gaps remain in the regulations for implementing the OREC program and offshore wind developers have not obtained the necessary approvals from the New Jersey BPU to move forward.

Governor Murphy’s Executive Order directs the BPU to begin the rulemaking process to fill the gaps in the current regulations governing the OREC program. The Order also directs BPU President Joseph Fiordaliso and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Catherine McCabe to work together to establish an Offshore Wind Strategic Plan for New Jersey. The Plan will focus on critical components of offshore wind development, including job growth, workforce development, data collection, and appropriate determination of facilities, as well as ensuring that natural resources are protected.

Under the Order, BPU will implement the OREC program by approving financial plans submitted by offshore wind developers. After the creation of a process to approve such plans, the BPU will issue a solicitation calling for proposed offshore wind projects for the generation of 1,100 megawatts of electric power -- the nation’s largest such solicitation to date. Finally, the Executive Order instructs the BPU to engage with neighboring states on the potential benefits of regional collaboration on offshore wind.

“Our goal is to grow offshore wind in a way that creates jobs and reduces our dependence on fossil fuels,”
Governor Murphy said. “New Jersey is committed to growing our clean energy sector, and offshore wind is at the crux of increasing that part of our economy.”

The U.S. offshore wind market is emerging with the nation’s first commercial offshore wind project, the Block Island offshore wind farm, having been operation for just over a year. Additional projects proposed along America’s coastlines with lease areas awarded to multiple companies, including Statoil, Avangrid, Deepwater Wind and Ørsted. The U.S. Department of Energy expects investment in wind turbines to reach several hundred billion dollars by 2050.

Earlier this week, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo released the New York State Offshore Wind Master Plan, which aims to guide the cost-effective development of 2.4GW of offshore wind off New York by 2030. The Master Plan is the culmination of two years of in-depth research, analysis, and outreach. It is the most comprehensive offshore wind planning process to be undertaken by any U.S. state, which charts a course toward achievement of the State’s offshore wind energy objectives.

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