The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) has opened a second offshore wind solicitation for the US east coast state.
The second solicitation will award between 1200MW and 2400MW of offshore wind energy, potentially tripling the state’s committed capacity from 1100MW to 3500MW.
The application window opens on 10 September 2020 and closes on 10 December 2020. The Board anticipates awarding the resulting offshore wind projects in June 2021.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy (pictured) said: “Developing New Jersey’s offshore wind industry will bring thousands of good-paying jobs and millions of dollars in economic development to our state to aid our economic recovery from COVID-19.
“This second solicitation not only reinforces our commitment to fighting climate change and achieving 100% clean energy by 2050, but it secures New Jersey’s foothold as a national leader in the growing US offshore wind industry.”
The NJBPU also approved the final New Jersey Offshore Wind Strategic Plan, the state’s comprehensive roadmap for achieving 7500 MW of offshore wind energy by 2035, which the second solicitation will help meet.
The NJBPU said it will continue to coordinate with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to “identify and prioritise the research and monitoring needs of this nascent industry”.
In opening the second solicitation the board put forth its Second Solicitation Guidance Document, which was developed through a robust public stakeholder process and provides the solicitation’s mechanics and timeline, project application requirements, and evaluation criteria.