New Jersey Gov. Murphy signs executive order increasing offshore wind goal

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed an executive order Wednesday increasing his state’s offshore wind goal by nearly 50 percent.

The new goal, 11,000 MW by 2040, ups the current goal of 7,500 MW. Murphy also directed the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities to study the feasibility of increasing the goal further. In addition to the executive order, Murphy announced the release of the Green Jobs for a Sustainable Future report, created by the New Jersey Council on the Green Economy, which outlines recommendations and pathways for growing a demographically representative and inclusive green workforce.

“Extreme weather events and severe flooding across the country leave no room for doubt – the effects of climate change are becoming more impactful and more aggressive, and we must do the same,” Murphy said. “Our renewed and strengthened commitment to offshore wind development testifies to my Administration’s understanding that, regardless of our impressive successes to date, there is always more that we can do to make New Jersey more sustainable while further advancing the state’s economic vitality. Indeed, the groundbreaking report prepared under the aegis of the Council of the Green Economy proves, now more than ever, that environmental health and economic health are inextricably connected.”

Murphy said an analysis of Offshore Wind jobs found that $10 million in new investments would generate good-paying jobs in the green economy. Private sector partners, including Unilever, DSM, Hugo Neu, IKEA, Siemens, and Hackensack Meridian Health, have committed to supporting the state’s efforts and have signed the Corporate Green Jobs Pledge to invest in building a diverse and well-paid workforce as part of their sustainability efforts.

“Today’s exciting announcement by Governor Murphy demonstrates New Jersey’s commitment to offshore wind and workforce development for our green economy,” said NJBPU President Joseph L. Fiordaliso. “Offshore wind is a vital component of our clean energy mix as we strive to meet 100 percent clean energy by 2050. The Board has already approved three offshore wind projects in its first two solicitations, totaling more than 3,700 MW, and is now preparing for its third solicitation of 1,200 MW in the first quarter of 2023. Creating a workforce to meet the needs of this burgeoning industry is critical to the success of creating a clean energy future and combatting climate change.”

The announcements came during Climate Week at the U.S. Climate Alliance event, where Murphy committed to building an inclusive green workforce and achieving a 100 percent clean energy state economy by 2050.