TRENTON – New Jersey and New York will cooperate in creating a supply chain for offshore wind development, the governors of the two states said Wednesday when the Biden administration announced it would hold an auction next month to lease more than 480,000 offshore acres for wind power. .
The auction from the Office of Ocean Energy Management will take place on February 23 and will cover six areas in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of New Jersey, roughly from areas east of Long Branch to Long Beach Island. The waters of New Jersey and Long Island are known as the New York Bight.
Acreage at auction was down 72% from initial plans, federal officials said, but the six remaining areas remain the most included in a single BOEM auction. It could produce up to 7 gigawatts of energy, enough to power 2 million homes.
“We are at a turning point for the development of offshore wind energy in the country,” said Interior Secretary Deb Haaland. “It presents a unique opportunity to build an entirely new industry that can combat climate change and create strong and sustainable economies.”
The Biden administration aims to install 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030. New York and New Jersey are aiming to provide more than half of that combined: 9 GW in New York and 7.5 GW in New Jersey.
The wind auction will include new stipulations designed to promote the development of a US-based wind power supply chain, including incentives to source major components, such as blades, turbines and foundations, domestically and to enter into labor agreements. of projects for projects to be built by the union.
‘Job creation machine’
“This is how we build a reliable, sustainable and equitable offshore wind job creation machine,” said Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO.
New Jersey has begun construction of a wind port in Salem County, as well as a terminal at the Paulsboro Marine Terminal, in a plan to increase manufacturing jobs.
“Fighting climate change and creating overwhelmingly high paying jobs, as I said, are not at odds with each other,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “In fact, they go hand in hand.”
“We are further consolidating the region not only in terms of clean energy, but as a national supply chain for offshore wind power generation and manufacturing, which is a game changer in itself,” he said.
“We are happy that this part of the Northeast is the national manufacturing epicenter for this industry,” said New York Governor Kathy Hochul.
Twenty-five companies are qualified to bid on the wind leases in next month’s auction, according to BOEM.
Michael Symons is bureau chief for the New Jersey House of Representatives 101.5. Contact him at michael.symons@townsquaremedia.com.
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