Offshore Wind Bill Passes Senate

Today, the Senate passed S3985 (Smith). The bill expands the definition of “qualified offshore wind project” to include “open access offshore wind transmission facility. The Senate passed the bill with a vote of 37-0. Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, released the following statement:

“This bill will figure out the most cost-effective and environmentally beneficial ways to bring offshore wind power onto land. This is an issue that we need to take a careful look at as we are moving forward with these different offshore wind projects. Offshore wind can be the engine that drives our state to reach Governor Murphy’s 100% clean energy goals. Climate change impacts are happening now, and it is critical for New Jersey to transition to renewable energy sources to reduce those impacts. Offshore wind could feasibly power 1.2 million homes with clean energy. As we continue to rebuild our coast in the wake of multiple storm events, we need to invest in clean, renewable energy sources that do not contribute to climate change.”