New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has signed an executive order to establish a council to guide the set-up of the Wind Innovation and New Development (WIND) Institute.
The institute will develop and implement a plan to create a regional hub for New Jersey’s offshore wind industry and will build upon the Murphy Administration’s commitment to making the state a national leader in offshore wind.
Under the new council, which will be led by the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, the WIND Institute will identify and support offshore wind technology and research and development, plus educational and training programmes to develop the highly skilled offshore wind workforce.
The council will issue a final report to the governor with recommendations on creating the WIND institute within four months of the Council’s creation.
“From job creation to workforce development to reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, the WIND Institute and the council tasked with its development make good on our commitment to building a New Jersey economy fit for the 21st century,” said Governor Murphy (pictured).
As originally identified in the Governor’s 2018 economic plan, the WIND Institute will promote job creation, workforce development and training, research and development, and capital investment.
“Centralising the state’s resources under one roof allows us to leverage the considerable expertise at our disposal to enhance our position as a national leader in offshore wind development,” he added.
The council will recommend the WIND Institute’s governance structure, identify sources of funding and gaps in existing resources, and develop and recommend the organisation’s primary functions.
Governor Murphy signed the executive order during the Time For Turbines event, organised by the Business Network for Offshore Wind, where more than 240 offshore wind energy supporters gathered at the Atlantic City campus of Stockton University for a full day of information-sharing.
One highlight of the day was the panel of three offshore wind developers including Orsted, the Danish company that won that 1100MW contract; Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind, which holds a substantial wind energy area off of Atlantic City; and Equinor, which has a wind energy area over 20km east of Sandy Hook, which was led by Liz Burdock, the network’s chief executive.