Benefits of 3,700MW Offshore Wind Projects Detailed

On Mar 1, 2024

New Jersey’s Office of Climate Action and the Green Economy today joined key state agencies and stakeholders to showcase the environmental and economic benefits expected to be produced by the most recent awarding of 3,700 MW of offshore wind capacity to the Attentive Energy 2 project and Leading Light Wind, a partnership between lead developer Invenergy and co-developer energyRe.

Cabinet leaders from New Jersey’s Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) and Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) joined senior representatives from Attentive Energy and Leading Light Wind – the winners of the latest offshore wind solicitation – to showcase the type of skilled jobs that will be generated by the NJBPU’s’ recent milestone award of over 3,700 MW in clean, New Jersey-produced energy.

The event was hosted by the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters (EAS Carpenters Union) at its state-of-the-art Commercial Dive School facility in Sicklerville, where it has built a program that has become the go-to resource for training members from across the building trades unions for the work opportunities being produced by the offshore wind industry.

“These latest awards reaffirm New Jersey’s commitment to a strong and thriving offshore wind industry and the incredible economic and environmental benefits it will bring to our state, for both this generation and the next,” said Gov. Phil Murphy. “Together with Atlantic Shores 1, these projects will bring us closer to achieving 100% clean energy by 2035, create thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic opportunity in our coastal communities and beyond, and guarantee that New Jerseyans have access to clean, affordable energy produced right here in our state and powered by our labor union workforce. Today, we are proud to partner with Leading Light Wind and Attentive Energy in the march towards New Jersey’s clean energy future.”

The projects are slated to produce $6.8 billion in economic benefits to the state, including 4,350 new jobs in direct construction and maintenance of offshore wind farms, jobs in the offshore wind supply chain and in related fields. Projects have also committed to:

• Establishment of NJ-based Operations & Maintenance (O&M) facilities;
• Marshaling of both projects at the NJ Wind Port;
• Anchor orders from a tower manufacturing facility to be constructed at the NJ Wind Port
• $164 million in funding for EEW expansion;
• Funding and support for a variety of other educational, workforce development, and innovation initiatives, including several with an environmental justice focus, through NJ-based educational and non-profit organizations, and over $60 million for environmental and fisheries initiatives combined; and
• $94 million commitment for direct assistance to 200,000 low-income, energy-burdened households by reducing their monthly electricity bill increase by 50% to support an equitable transition – a key program from Leading Light Wind.

“Today we demonstrate once again that New Jersey remains a growing – and nation-leading – offshore wind hub,” said NJBPU President Christine Guhl-Sadovy. “In addition to producing significant environmental and economic impacts, the projects approved by the Board last month will generate thousands of good-paying union jobs as we continue our determined pursuit of a 100% clean energy economy by 2035.”

“The latest offshore wind projects approved by NJBPU will bring our state closer to Governor Murphy’s goal of 100 percent clean energy by 2035 and cements our place as a leader in the offshore wind industry,” said NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan. “This growing clean energy sector has already started to create good-paying jobs and I appreciate the Eastern Atlantic Regional Society of Carpenters for investing in training programs to ensure our state’s residents have the skills needed to enter the field and reap the economic benefits of the industry. The future of offshore wind in New Jersey remains bright.”

“Leading Light Wind is charting an American-led clean energy future for New Jersey – and we’re not doing it alone,” said Wes Jacobs, Leading Light Wind project director. “We are working collaboratively with industry partners and with local communities, organized labor, policymakers, and other stakeholders across New Jersey to deliver community-driven clean energy development for the Garden State. We will uphold a high standard for responsible development and ensure we are creating family-sustaining jobs, investing in tangible benefits for communities, and improving public health.”

“New Jersey’s leadership in offshore wind creates local workforce and supply chain investments and the Attentive Energy Two project is proud to be a partner in delivering on this clean energy and economic opportunity,” said Damian Bednarz, managing director of Attentive Energy. “We especially recognize the importance of union labor and good paying jobs that the offshore wind sector will bring and we are committed to ensuring that the benefits of this project reach every corner of this state.”

“At the EAS Carpenters Union, we believe in the work opportunities provided to our members through the arrival of offshore wind projects in New Jersey. That’s why we have invested in a state-of-the-art dive school to train our members in the latest techniques and safety standards for underwater construction,” said William C. Sproule, Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters executive secretary-treasurer.

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