New Jersey has increased the target for its third offshore wind solicitation to 4GW.
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities said the round, which was previously set at 1.2GW, could now secure the upper target.
The increase was released by the board as part of a draft solicitation guidance document for the solicitation.
The blueprint will provide for stakeholder engagement on the design of the auction, said the board.
It also provides information necessary to enable potential bidders to assess the rules and requirements of the solicitation.
There are several new requirements proposed for the round as well as the increased capacity.
These include offering an inflation adjustment mechanism, providing specific direction on New Jersey’s requirements for new or expanded supply chain facilities, providing minimum standards for the environmental and fisheries protection plans and setting the evaluation criteria weighting to 70% price and 30% non-price factors.
The draft also includes an updated offshore wind solicitation schedule.
The new schedule reflects the State’s expanded goal of 11 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2040, set by Governor Murphy earlier this year.
“I am pleased to announce the release of our Third Solicitation draft guidance document and the new offshore wind solicitation schedule for reaching Governor Murphy’s expanded goal of 11 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2040,” said NJBPU President Joseph L. Fiordaliso.
“As we move toward a clean energy future it is vital that we fulfill the promise of offshore wind in combatting climate change and providing good paying jobs while continuing to provide a reliable schedule for achieving our ambitious goals.”