As the owner of a small business in Norwood, New Jersey, I’m proud to say that offshore wind has created a significant pipeline of opportunities for my company and employees. It has allowed my business to grow and create new jobs, while also contributing to the clean energy transition. But most important, it’s helped me — and a growing number of others like me — to expand our businesses in spite of the challenges of COVID, inflation, and other economic headwinds.

Despite different outcomes - New York's first offshore wind farm came online and New Jersey had one canceled - both states are benefiting from offshore wind. Job creation and economic growth are predicted, as New Jersey's decarbonization efforts could create 20,000 jobs.

Beginning in April, Atlantic Cape Community College’s Wind Training Center will begin offering safety courses aligned with Global Wind Organization standards. The facility and program are both the first of their kind in NJ.

It is one of three offshore wind projects currently pending in New Jersey, which is trying to become the East Coast leader in offshore wind energy.

An offshore wind power project proposed for New Jersey would have 157 turbines and be located 8.4 miles (13.5 kilometers) from shore at its closest point, data released by the federal government Friday shows.

America’s first commercial-scale offshore wind farm is officially open, a long-awaited moment that helps pave the way for a succession of large wind farms.

Offshore wind holds too much potential to grow jobs and our regional economy, is too essential a tool for hitting our clean-energy goals, and too critical a power generation source for our growing electricity needs to simply let this opportunity languish instead of forging ahead with a better plan.

It’s a generational job growth opportunity, supporters of the nascent industry say. “Offshore wind represents the biggest opportunity, probably, for New Jersey, for our economic future,” said Tim Sullivan, the CEO of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority. “Surely for South Jersey, there is no bigger economic opportunity presenting itself for thousands, if not tens of thousands, of jobs and careers over the next 30, 50, 100 years.”

With every major problem comes a major opportunity, and climate change is no different. Right now, we are on the precipice of a clean energy revolution in this country, and we once again have the opportunity to be international leaders in developing, investing in and building power generation that provides for all our energy needs while reducing our emissions. This is not pie-in-the-sky idealism, but what we can do when we invest in technology like offshore wind, solar and other carbon-free power generation, and put the best trained, most capable laborers in the history of mankind in charge of making sure it gets built.

New installations approved by BPU, federal offshore-wind tax credits and ‘inflation-proof’ contracts augur well for this sector