Major bet on wind power looks to businesses run by women, minorities, veterans

Rutgers University, Rowan University, Montclair State University and New Jersey Institute of Technology will be receiving funds to advance academic research and investment in offshore wind workforce training, according to a Thursday announcement from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority.

Initiatives Will Create Offshore Wind Fellowship Program and Support Universities to Deepen Industry Expertise

Trustees of the Ocean Wind Pro-NJ Grantor Trust Fund are looking to fund projects that address environmental issues.

New Jersey officials announced $3.3 million for offshore wind environmental studies, the first of some $26 million pledged by offshore wind developers. NJDEP image.

One of the six companies that successfully bid for a slice of the 488,000 acres of offshore wind energy leases in the New York Bight last month already has plans in place to construct the largest single offshore wind project in New Jersey, approximately 10 to 20 miles off the coast between Atlantic City and Barnegat Light.

Six energy companies bid $4.37 billion for the rights to build and operate industrial-sized wind farms in federal waters off the coasts of New Jersey and New York, illustrating a shift in dollars toward renewable energy investments.

As a coastal state, we’re already facing severe impacts from climate change. Thirty New Jerseyans died during Hurricane Ida, which cost $65 billion in damage up and down the East Coast. There’s no longer any doubt that human-induced carbon emissions contribute greatly to these extreme weather events.

I am the president and founder of the Stockton University Environmental Club, and I support the development and use of offshore wind to protect New Jersey’s future. I speak on behalf of all young New Jersey residents and advocates who want to develop safe, renewable and responsible offshore wind energy projects to defend and preserve the state’s beloved shores for generations to come.

Representatives of the planned Ocean Wind offshore wind farm will take public comment March 7 on the possible use of about 0.8 acres of city-owned parkland for its underground electric transmission lines.