Gov. Phil Murphy, D-N.J., has signed Executive Order No. 79, establishing a new council dedicated to offshore wind energy.
The new council will help form the Wind Innovation and New Development (WIND) Institute. The council will recommend the WIND Institute’s governance structure, identify sources of funding and gaps in existing resources, and develop and recommend the organization’s primary functions.
The council is a cross-governmental coordinating effort with membership from the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education; the Economic Development Authority; the Board of Public Utilities; and the Departments of Education, Environmental Protection, and Labor and Workforce Development, in addition to the governor’s chief policy advisor and chief counsel.
“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,” says Murphy. “Centralizing 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.”
The WIND Institute was originally identified in the governor’s 2018 economic plan.
Within four months of its creation, the council will issue a final report to Murphy with recommendations on creating the WIND institute.
