SICKLERVILLE– The Governor’s Office of Climate Action and the Green Economy today joined key State agencies and stakeholders to showcase the enormous environmental and economic benefits that will be produced by New Jersey’s most recent awarding of 3,700 MW of offshore wind capacity to the Attentive Energy 2 project and Leading Light Wind, a partnership between lead developer Invenergy and co-developer energyRe.

Cabinet leaders from New Jersey’s Board of Public Utilities and Economic Development Authority joined senior representatives from Attentive Energy and Leading Light Wind – the winners of the latest offshore wind solicitation – to showcase the type of skilled jobs that will be generated by the Board of Public Utilities’ recent milestone award of over 3,700 MW in clean, New Jersey-produced energy.

The event was hosted by the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters (EAS Carpenters Union) at their state-of-the-art Commercial Dive School facility in Sicklerville, NJ, where they have built an elite program that has become the go-to resource for training members from across the building trades unions for the vast work opportunities being produced by the growing offshore wind industry.

“These latest awards reaffirm New Jersey’s commitment to a strong and thriving offshore wind industry and the incredible economic and environmental benefits it will bring to our state, for both this generation and the next,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “Together with Atlantic Shores 1, these projects will bring us closer to achieving 100% clean energy by 2035, create thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic opportunity in our coastal communities and beyond, and guarantee that New Jerseyans have access to clean, affordable energy produced right here in our state and powered by our labor union workforce. Today, we are proud to partner with Leading Light Wind and Attentive Energy in the march towards New Jersey’s clean energy future.”

The projects are also slated to produce $6.8 billion in economic benefits to the state, including 4,350 new jobs in direct construction and maintenance of offshore wind farms, jobs in the offshore wind supply chain and in related fields. Projects have also committed to:

• Establishment of NJ-based Operations & Maintenance (O&M) facilities;
• Marshaling of both projects at the NJ Wind Port;
• Anchor orders from a tower manufacturing facility to be constructed at the NJ Wind Port
• $164 million in funding for EEW expansion;
• Funding and support for a variety of other educational, workforce development, and innovation initiatives, including several with an environmental justice focus, through NJ-based educational and non-profit organizations, and over $60 million for environmental and fisheries initiatives combined; and
• $94 million commitment for direct assistance to 200,000 low-income, energy-burdened households by reducing their monthly electricity bill increase by 50% to support an equitable transition – a key program from Leading Light Wind.

“Today we demonstrate once again that New Jersey remains a growing – and nation-leading – offshore wind hub,” said New Jersey Board of Public Utilities President Christine Guhl-Sadovy. “In addition to producing significant environmental and economic impacts, the projects approved by the Board last month will generate thousands of good-paying union jobs as we continue our determined pursuit of a 100% clean energy economy by 2035.”

“The latest offshore wind projects approved by NJBPU will bring our state closer to Governor Murphy’s goal of 100 percent clean energy by 2035 and cements our place as a leader in the offshore wind industry,” said NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan. “This growing clean energy sector has already started to create good-paying jobs and I appreciate the Eastern Atlantic Regional Society of Carpenters for investing in training programs to ensure our state’s residents have the skills needed to enter the field and reap the economic benefits of the industry. The future of offshore wind in New Jersey remains bright.”

“Leading Light Wind is charting an American-led clean energy future for New Jersey – and we’re not doing it alone,” said Wes Jacobs, Leading Light Wind Project Director. “We are working collaboratively with industry partners and with local communities, organized labor, policymakers, and other stakeholders across New Jersey to deliver community-driven clean energy development for the Garden State. We will uphold a high standard for responsible development and ensure we are creating family-sustaining jobs, investing in tangible benefits for communities, and improving public health.”

“New Jersey’s leadership in offshore wind creates local workforce and supply chain investments and the Attentive Energy Two project is proud to be a partner in delivering on this clean energy and economic opportunity,” said Damian Bednarz, Managing Director of Attentive Energy. “We especially recognize the importance of union labor and good paying jobs that the offshore wind sector will bring and we are committed to ensuring that the benefits of this project reach every corner of this state.”

“At the EAS Carpenters Union, we believe in the work opportunities provided to our members through the arrival of offshore wind projects in New Jersey. That’s why we have invested in a state-of-the-art dive school to train our members in the latest techniques and safety standards for underwater construction,” said William C. Sproule, Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters Executive Secretary-Treasurer.

“The EAS Carpenters Union has made a significant investment in the offshore wind industry with the opening of the first Union commercial dive training program, which has recently achieved accreditation through the Association of Diving Contractors. Our innovative approach to training will equip our members and future members with the skills and knowledge required to meet the needs of the ever-evolving energy infrastructure future,” said Robert Smith, Executive Director and Chief Administrative Officer of the Eastern Atlantic States Carpenters Technical Centers.

“The offshore wind industry is poised for success in South Jersey – ambitious energy goals that will help cut New Jersey’s carbon footprint, great benefits to the region’s workforce and overall economy, and a commitment to educating the residents and businesses in South Jersey of the industry’s benefits – a true economic and community win-win for the region,” said Christina Renna, President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Southern New Jersey.

“New Jersey’s latest offshore wind project awards go beyond just hope for a renewable energy future. These projects will have the capacity to offset approximately one-third of New Jersey’s current greenhouse gas emissions from the electricity sector, unequivocally securing improved air quality and better health for our communities. New Jersey continues to lead the way nationally in the development of a clean energy industry while providing enormous economic and job opportunities across the state,” said Anjuli Ramos-Busot, Director of the Sierra Club New Jersey Chapter.

“New Jersey must take advantage of offshore wind and the historic opportunity to be a leader in the fight against climate change – all while creating good-paying union jobs, boosting economic development, and building healthier communities, especially in areas that have been overburdened with pollution. We are pleased to see Governor Murphy’s plans for clean, renewable energy for offshore wind move forward,” said Ed Potosnak, Executive Director, New Jersey League of Conservation Voters. “It’s long past time to stop our reliance on dirty fossil fuels and move toward an equitable clean energy future, including responsibly developed offshore wind, to stop the most disastrous effects of climate change.”

These projects, in addition to the state’s existing Atlantic Shores 1 project, will produce enough clean energy to power nearly two million homes, and will reach commercial development between 2030 and 2032. More information can be found at Office of Climate Action and the Green Economy – (nj.gov)

About the Office of Climate Action and the Green Economy
The Office of Climate Action and the Green Economy was created in 2021 to achieve Governor Murphy’s bold climate action vision by providing strategic leadership and coordination across state agencies working to addressing climate change, seeding and supporting growth in the green economy, and advancing equity and environmental justice.

About Attentive Energy Two  
Attentive Energy Two is an offshore wind project designed to help New Jersey meet its nation-leading offshore wind targets and will strengthen and expand upon the State’s foundational offshore wind investments. Attentive Energy Two has developed a holistic offshore wind proposal, informed by engagement with hundreds of stakeholders over four years, that will create economic opportunities statewide reaching all 21 counties. Approximately 42 miles from its nearest point in New Jersey, the project is expected to power over 600,000 homes with clean renewable energy. As a joint venture between TotalEnergies and Corio Generation, a partnership representing one of the largest offshore wind portfolios in the world, Attentive Energy Two is uniquely positioned and committed to delivering this major offshore wind project for New Jersey.

About Leading Light Wind
Leading Light Wind is an American-led offshore wind project that will bring locally sourced, renewable energy to the East Coast. Developed by Invenergy and energyRe, we believe in empowering the communities where we live and work. Leading Light Wind will build on our track record of impactful community engagement and innovation in sustainable American infrastructure to advance public health, create good-paying jobs, and support our local supply chain.