"The state, along with the Wind Institute, created two challenge grants to be awarded to community colleges that will train the skilled labor needed to fill the new jobs created by the project. The first of those challenge grants was awarded to Atlantic Cape Community College, the governor said, and will include the construction of a 1,700-square-foot training center on the college’s campus. The second challenge, a grant of up to $1 million to create a New Jersey wind turbine technician training center, is still up for grabs, the governor said.

A union Project Labor Agreement also was signed at the groundbreaking, and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority has set goals of awarding 15% of the contract value to minority-, women- and veteran-owned contractors and 25% to small businesses."

"To avoid the catastrophic bird loss, we must move away from fossil fuels and toward renewable sources like wind energy. While some argue that wind turbines’ structures pose a risk to birds’ safety, how significant these hazards are depends on the location of the turbines and the migratory paths of the birds themselves."

"New Jersey can lead our nation in developing America's offshore wind power, which has the potential to meet 90 percent of total US energy demand by 2050," says a letter I signed along with over 100 other state and local elected officials in support of offshore wind in New Jersey. "We're at the vanguard of a new clean, renewable energy industry that will generate thousands of jobs, create prosperity for our communities, improve our health, and help protect our coastlines. Offshore wind is key to New Jersey's future."

"The offshore wind farm, to be constructed 15 miles off the South Jersey shore, is expected to create up to 4,000 prevailing wage jobs over the project’s 25-year lifespan and generate nearly $1.2 billion in economic benefits for the state. As the potential for offshore wind continues to grow, the U.S. offshore wind industry could create 83,000 jobs and drive $25 billion in annual economic output in the next decade, according to the American Wind Energy Association.

These jobs range from construction to manufacturing to operations. An offshore wind turbine technician can earn a family-supporting salary that is 20% higher than the median per capita income for New Jersey. In addition to assembly, wind farms create a competitive domestic supply chain — building blades, towers, cables and other components — that will bolster the local economy."

"The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities approved the 1,510-MW project in the southern portion of its lease area 10 to 20 miles off the coast between Atlantic City and Barnegat Light on June 30. The Atlantic Shores project is a joint venture of EDF Renewables and New Shell Energies LLC.

“Atlantic Shores’ view fits well with Governor Murphy’s offshore wind goals,’’ said Doug O’Malley, director of Environment New Jersey, referring to the company’s expansion plans. “In a time of climate crisis, we need to be expanding the megawatts we build as quickly as possible.’’

"More than 100 elected New Jersey officials issued a statement Tuesday in support of the state’s budding offshore-wind industry as opponents renewed their attacks on plans to build hundreds of wind turbines along the Shore.

The group argues that by producing electricity without burning fossil fuels such as natural gas or coal, New Jersey will be doing its part to cut emissions that are driving climate change while contributing to sea-level rise that is forecast to permanently flood large areas of the Shore by the end of the century."

"When New Jersey officials created the Offshore Wind Safety Training Challenge grant competition earlier this year, they hoped the winning entry would help the state establish a training program that would be an example for the industry — and do so while creating opportunities in the industry for a diverse set of workers. A proposal by Atlantic Cape Community College appears to do just that.

On Tuesday, state officials announced Atlantic Cape has been selected as the winner — and that it will enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education for a $3 million grant to develop a Global Wind Organisation-certified training program and facility to be operational by the end of 2022."

"'Today’s award, which is the nation’s largest combined to date, further solidifies New Jersey as an offshore-winds supply-chain hub and leader in the offshore-wind industry in the United States,’ Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement.

Eric Miller, director of New Jersey Energy Policy at the Natural Resources Defense Council, praised what he said was 'a bold step from the Board of the Public Utilities that cements New Jersey’s status as a leader in off-shore development in the region. Not only is the announcement a win for the clime, it’s a win for New Jersey’s clean-energy economy.'"

"The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities on Wednesday awarded a combined 2,658 megawatts of offshore wind capacity to EDF/Shell’s Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind and Ørsted’s Ocean Wind II.

The companies that were given Wednesday’s awards both have committed to investing in New Jersey’s burgeoning offshore wind industry by building new manufacturing facilities at the New Jersey Wind Port, utilizing the foundation manufacturing facility at the Port of Paulsboro.

In addition, Fiordaliso said the companies will make a $10,000-per-megawatt contribution for research initiatives to protect wildlife and commercial fishing in the area. Fiordaliso said the BPU and the Department of Environmental Protection will manage a $26 million fund to oversee initiatives."

"The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities on Wednesday voted unanimously to approve the state’s second offshore wind project by naming two developers to produce 2,658 megawatts of energy off the coast — enough to power 1.15 million homes.

The project will be split between two companies: Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind LLC, a partnership of Shell New Energies US and EDF Renewables North America; and, Ocean Wind 2 LLC, an Ørsted subsidiary. Officials said it amounts to the “nation’s largest combined offshore wind” award announced so far in the U.S."