For Immediate Release: March 2, 2020
Media Contact: Melinda Skea | [email protected] | 410-779-1362
TRENTON, N.J. – New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced that he is setting out an ambitious offshore wind program that will enable the state to hit its goal of 7500 megawatts (MW) of offshore wind power by 2035. That’s enough electricity to run 3.2 million homes and provide fifty percent of the state’s electric demand.
This new program includes requests for proposals for offshore wind power in 2020, 2022, 2024, 2026 and 2028, making New Jersey the first state to lay out its planned milestones and demonstrate how it will achieve its offshore wind objectives. The timetable builds on the earlier commitments the state had made of holding RFPs in 2020 and 2022, and provides the offshore wind industry and supply chain with a road map on how these offshore wind projects can be planned for and funded.
The following statement can be attributed to Liz Burdock, president & CEO, Oceantic Network:
We thank Governor Murphy for responding to our request for a multi-year schedule of offshore wind energy solicitations based on the challenging goal of 7,500 MW of offshore wind energy being developed by 2035.
However, we are also concerned that the state does not currently have a long-term comprehensive plan for working with utilities, regional transmission organizations (RTOs), and other grid experts to ensure that the state’s energy systems are ready for the massive gigawatts of power that will be generated off the New Jersey shoreline starting in 2024.
Grid and transmission planning is key to ensuring the steady growth of the U.S. offshore wind industry in the long-term. We only have a few years to modernize and increase the capacity of the onshore grid to handle the double task of the electrification of transportation (electric vehicles) and the greatly increased generation of clean energy from offshore wind and solar.
New Jersey is one of the states that is taking steps to resolve its grid and transmission constraints, but more work remains to be done. This new solicitation schedule outlines a framework into which New Jersey’s transmission solutions will fit so that energy production meets energy demand.
Our hope is that other states will follow Governor Murphy’s lead and publish their own timetables. This will facilitate the coordination of the U.S. offshore wind supply chain, and readiness of transmission solutions. If we can do this, it will be remembered as an important step forward for the U.S. offshore wind industry.”
For more information or to arrange an interview with a Network spokesperson, contact Melinda Skea at [email protected] or 410-779-1362.
Oceantic Network is the largest nonprofit organization dedicated to establishing a robust offshore wind supply chain in the U.S. It advances the industry forward through education, facilitating partnerships, and events, including the International Offshore Wind Partnership Forum, the largest offshore wind conference in America. Learn more at offshorewindus.org.
