How do you go about generating renewable energy when your state has 130 miles of windy coastline? Massive wind farms, of course.
This week, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy declared the state will install 7.5 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2035, almost double its initial target of 3.5 gigawatts. This project will generate enough renewable energy to satisfy half of New Jersey’s state power needs.
The state has partnered with Orsted A/S for the installation of the first 1,100 megawatts of power and says 460 businesses plan to join the supply chain for the creation of the massive wind project. New Jersey is optimistic about the economic growth this will create for the state with a predicted creation of thousands of jobs and $70 billion in renewable energy investments over a decade.
For New Jersey, which has been battered by strong tropical storms spurred by climate change, renewable energy is not only an economic solution but an environmental one that contributes to saving its own vulnerable coastal communities.