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For Immediate Release:
September 9, 2021

Governor Phil Murphy, U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, and Elected, Union, Environmental, and Private Sector Leaders Break Ground on the ӣ����Ƶ Wind Port
Nation’s First Purpose-Built Offshore Wind Port Positions ӣ����Ƶ as a Hub for the U.S. Offshore Wind Industry

Biggest Investment in Salem County in a Generation, With the Potential to Create Up to 1,500 Jobs and $500 Million in Economic Activity

(Lower Alloways Creek, NJ) – Governor Phil Murphy today joined U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, Senate President Stephen Sweeney, President of the ӣ����Ƶ State Building & Construction Trades Council Bill Mullen, AECOM Tishman Community Relations Director Flora Ramos, elected officials, union leaders, environmental advocates, private sector partners, and representatives of the offshore wind industry for the groundbreaking of the , a first-in-the-nation infrastructure investment that will provide a location for essential staging, assembly, and manufacturing activities related to offshore wind projects on the East Coast.

In addition to the groundbreaking ceremony, the event also included the signing of a project labor agreement (PLA) for the project between AECOM-Tishman and the United Building Trades Council of Southern ӣ����Ƶ AFL-CIO.

The largest economic investment in Salem County in decades, the ӣ����Ƶ Wind Port has the potential to create up to 1,500 manufacturing, assembly, and operations jobs, as well as hundreds of union construction jobs in ӣ����Ƶ. Manufacturing and marshalling projects supported by the Wind Port will drive economic growth in Salem County, in South Jersey, and throughout the state. Through the PLA signed today, the Murphy Administration has delivered on its commitment to use union labor to construct the Wind Port while setting a new standard for inclusion of minority and women workers and business owners.

“Investing in offshore wind is vital to building a stronger, greener economy that creates high-paying jobs to support a robust recovery from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and paves the way for long-term, equitable growth,” said Governor Murphy. “The ӣ����Ƶ Wind Port will create thousands of high-quality jobs, bring millions of investment dollars to our state, and establish ӣ����Ƶ as the national capital of offshore wind.”

“The ӣ����Ƶ Wind Port represents the kind of technological innovation, broad-based partnership, and bold investment that we need to meet the climate challenge and create good jobs and an inclusive workforce in our country,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh. “This project and the good jobs that come with it serves as an important model for future infrastructure investments in this country.”

“Today's groundbreaking represents the first step in a new era of economic development and job growth in South Jersey, with the ability to produce economic benefits for generations to come,” said Senate President Steve Sweeney. “Wind energy is our future – it’s clean, it’s safe, and it offers the opportunity for ӣ����Ƶ to be a dominant leader in creating a new sector for our nation's economy. Bringing offshore wind manufacturing to ӣ����Ƶ is key to making the state a hub of the supply chain for wind energy products and services. The collaboration between the public and private sectors to get this done is a powerful reminder of what we have to do to create economic opportunities and what we can do to promote offshore wind energy.”

“The urgency of clean, renewable energy has not been greater than it is in this moment,” said Assembly Speaker Craig J. Coughlin. “Turning ӣ����Ƶ into the hub of our nation’s offshore wind industry, this groundbreaking marks the beginning of a more resilient environmental and economic future for us all, delivering on our state’s promise to be a bold and ambitious leader and innovator

“Today’s groundbreaking event marks one of the best examples yet of Governor Murphy’s bold new approach to economic development. This is a historic investment to support one of the newest and fastest-growing industries in the world that will address the climate crisis head-on and create thousands of good jobs throughout ӣ����Ƶ,” said NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan. “The ӣ����Ƶ Wind Port will establish ӣ����Ƶ as a global leader in the high-growth offshore wind industry while focusing from day one on ensuring local communities and historically disadvantaged groups benefit most. This is what stronger and fairer economic development looks like, and I am proud to work with Governor Murphy and the many other partners here today to make this project a reality.”

“NJBPU is proud to invest in this initiative. As a major component of our Energy Master Plan, offshore wind will be a pillar of achieving the Governor’s goal of 100 percent clean energy. The ӣ����Ƶ Wind Port will be a critical project and can ensure our communities are able to access the full economic and environmental benefits of this growing renewable energy industry,” said ӣ����Ƶ Board of Public Utilities President Joseph L. Fiordaliso. “Today’s groundbreaking ceremony is an important step forward for this project that will cement ӣ����Ƶ’s position as a leader in offshore wind development and pave the way for job creation and supply chain growth while lowering the future costs of offshore wind.”

“As ӣ����Ƶ redoubles its efforts to reduce climate pollution and increase our State’s resilience to climate risks, we have the opportunity to build new and greener industries and the family-sustaining jobs that come with them,” said Shawn M. LaTourette, Commissioner of Environmental Protection and Co-Chair of Governor Murphy’s Council on the Green Economy. “The ӣ����Ƶ Wind Port will stand as an example of ӣ����Ƶ’s commitment to building a greener, more sustainable future that provides new economic opportunity for residents as we protect our environment and one another from the risks of climate change. I am proud of the role the Department of Environmental Protection has played in ensuring the responsible development of this project, and I look forward to many more like it in the years ahead.”

“The ӣ����Ƶ Wind Port is a transformational project. Beyond its clear environmental benefits, the port will also provide a massive economic boon to Salem County and the entire state of ӣ����Ƶ,” said ӣ����Ƶ State Treasurer Elizabeth Muoio. “By providing much-needed specialized port infrastructure, the ӣ����Ƶ Wind Port will play a key role in attracting billions of investment dollars to ӣ����Ƶ that will provide jobs for working families and opportunities for businesses throughout the state. This will have immediate impacts for communities and will set ӣ����Ƶ on a path to a strong and equitable economic future.”

“The ӣ����Ƶ Wind Port will create new career paths for hundreds of students and workers in ӣ����Ƶ, and Governor Murphy’s commitment to workforce development will ensure equitable access to these new opportunities,” said ӣ����Ƶ Secretary of Higher Education Dr. Brian Bridges. “We are excited to work with Governor Murphy, the NJEDA, and the many other partners involved in this critical project to create new opportunities for students to gain access to the training, education, and skills required to succeed in these careers.”

“The most immediate impact the ӣ����Ƶ Wind Port will have on Governor Murphy’s vision for a stronger, fairer economy is to create hundreds of new jobs that are accessible to all ӣ����Ƶans,” said ӣ����Ƶ Department of Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo. “Equally important is the long-term significance of this marquis project in establishing ӣ����Ƶ as the epicenter of the offshore wind industry on the East Coast. The State's commitment to clean energy guarantees workers will earn family sustaining wages and benefits, and that every dollar spent will support training for our future workforce."

“The ӣ����Ƶ Wind Port is a transformative project that will have immediate economic impacts as well as important long-term benefits for ӣ����Ƶ’s economy and environment,” said ӣ����Ƶ Department of Transportation Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti. “The Department of Transportation is proud to support this project with $44 million for dredging, and we look forward to playing an active role in bringing this important piece of new infrastructure to ӣ����Ƶ.”

“Today’s groundbreaking of the ӣ����Ƶ Wind Port represents a major step forward for the offshore wind industry in the United States and a transformational moment for ӣ����Ƶ’s clean energy future,” said Jane Cohen, Executive Director, Office of Climate Action and the Green Economy. “The ӣ����Ƶ Wind Port demonstrates that we do not have to choose between addressing climate change and creating jobs. Combatting climate change is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to develop economic growth, strengthen our workforce, and create family sustaining union jobs for all ӣ����Ƶans who want to be in involved in the green economy.”

“Today marks a significant step forward in our state’s efforts to create a future powered by clean energy,” said Deputy Assembly Speaker John Burzichelli, prime sponsor in the Assembly of the legislation that set the framework for offshore wind in ӣ����Ƶ.

“The need to protect our environment has never been more evident," said Assembly members Adam Taliaferro, Robert Karabinchak and Joseph Egan, in a joint statement. “The need to protect our environment has never been more evident. By generating both renewable energy and countless jobs, this wind port will undoubtedly benefit our economy, energy infrastructure and environment for years to come.”

“Today we enter an exciting new chapter in the story of ӣ����Ƶ’s clean energy economy. The ӣ����Ƶ Wind Port is a visionary project and AECOM Tishman is proud and honored to be entrusted by the state of ӣ����Ƶ with the responsibility for its construction,” said Flora Ramos, Director, Community Relations of AECOM Tishman. “As per the PLA signed today, this project will create hundreds of union construction jobs over the next two years. We will continue to work closely with the NJEDA to ensure we meet Governor Murphy’s goals for diversity and inclusion throughout the construction process.”

“Today, ӣ����Ƶ has become the nation’s leader in offshore wind energy which will provide a win-win situation for the Garden State’s economy, the environment, and the highly skilled, union building and construction trades industry,” said Bill Mullen, an ironworker and President of the NJ Building and Construction Trades Council. “Wind energy will usher in a new age in the State providing a much-needed shot of adrenaline into the region that will create thousands of family-supporting union construction and manufacturing jobs.”

“On behalf of the Building Trades, I want to thank Governor Murphy and his administration for making the ӣ����Ƶ Wind Port a reality,” said Dan Cosner, Business Manager of IBEW Local 351 and President of Southern NJ Building Trades Council. “As working families struggle to recover from the economic impact of COVID-19, the jobs this project creates will allow South Jersey to continue to thrive while also helping with meeting the Governor’s clean energy goals. I am proud to sign the PLA today on behalf of the South Jersey Building Trades and IBEW Local 351 and look forward to getting to work building this critical infrastructure project.”

“We are pleased to partner with ӣ����Ƶ to help deliver its clean energy goals, both to fight climate change and to create good-paying union jobs for workers today,” said Madeline Urbish, Head of ӣ����Ƶ Government Affairs and Policy for Ørsted. “The ӣ����Ƶ Wind Port is a powerful example of how offshore wind is helping to build a new U.S. manufacturing industry that will support clean energy development throughout the region and establish the Garden State as a leader.”

“Offshore wind is the energy source of the future and Atlantic Shores is excited to work with Governor Murphy to grow the industry in ӣ����Ƶ,” said Atlantic Shores Development Manager Doug Copeland. “The ӣ����Ƶ Wind Port is a much-needed infrastructure asset that will play a key role in achieving our upcoming 1,500 MW project and will pave the way for the long-term growth of offshore wind up and down the East Coast.”

“With increasing frequency, ӣ����Ƶans are feeling the horrendous impacts of climate change and extreme weather,” PSEG Chief Operating Officer Ralph LaRossa said . “To protect our homes, businesses and the environment, ramping up clean energy generation, reducing carbon emissions and storm-hardening our infrastructure are imperative and there’s more that can be done. PSEG is proud to be a partner in Ocean Wind 1, and we’re especially honored to be a part of the development of the ӣ����Ƶ Wind Port, providing a foundation for the formation and expansion of offshore wind in the mid-Atlantic region. With today’s groundbreaking, ӣ����Ƶ is taking a giant step toward bringing new industry to the region, creating jobs and supporting the economy.”

Offshore wind is a central component of the State’s to achieve 100 percent clean energy by 2050. As part of that plan, ӣ����Ƶ has committed to producing 7,500 megawatts of offshore wind energy by 2035. Offshore wind projects slated for development along the East Coast are expected to require more than $150 billion of capital investment by 2035, and the American offshore wind industry is projected to create more than 83,000 jobs, mostly along the Northeast corridor. ӣ����Ƶ’s location at the heart of the East Coast wind belt, commitment to supporting offshore wind, and diverse and highly skilled workforce put the state in a strong position to capitalize on this opportunity.

Today’s groundbreaking marks the next step in developing the ӣ����Ƶ Wind Port as a hub for offshore wind. In June, Governor Murphy signed the Fiscal Year 2022 state budget, which included $200 million allocated for the development of the ӣ����Ƶ Wind Port; this is in addition to $13 million from the ӣ����Ƶ Board of Public Utilities and $44 million in partnership with ӣ����Ƶ Department of Transportation for dredging. In July, the NJEDA announced AECOM-Tishman as the Construction Manager (CM) for the project.

Construction of the ӣ����Ƶ Wind Port will create hundreds of jobs. In line with the State’s commitment to construct the ӣ����Ƶ Wind Port using union labor, the groundbreaking event included the signing of a project labor agreement (PLA) between AECOM-Tishman and the United Building Trades Council of Southern ӣ����Ƶ AFL-CIO. The State is also committed to setting a new standard for inclusion of women- and minority-owned businesses during construction of the ӣ����Ƶ Wind Port. The NJEDA is working with AECOM-Tishman to ensure at least 25 percent of subcontractors for the port construction are small businesses and at least 15 percent are women-, minority-, or veteran- owned. The project also includes worker diversity goals of 18 percent people of color and 6.9 percent women.

The ӣ����Ƶ Wind Port will be located on an artificial island on the eastern shores of the Delaware River, southwest of the City of Salem. The site was selected in June 2020 after a 22-month assessment process, including engagement with industry, government, and environmental stakeholders and the NJEDA has been preparing site and finalizing design since summer 2020. It is more than five miles from the nearest ӣ����Ƶ residential area and provides ample space to grow operations over time.

Long term, the ӣ����Ƶ Wind Port has the potential for over 150 acres of manufacturing parcels and hundreds of manufacturing jobs. Several potential tenants have already expressed interest in the site, including Ørsted and Atlantic Shores through their winning bids in NJBPU’s recent offshore wind power solicitation. Both offshore wind developers indicated they intend to build their projects at the Wind Port. The winning bids also included proposals to partner with turbine manufactures GE and Vestas to build nacelle assembly facilities at the port. The NJEDA will be launching an additional tenant selection process in the coming weeks to negotiate agreements with these potential tenants.

Earthworks will begin on-site in the coming weeks and major construction is due to start in December 2021 with the goal of opening the port in winter 2023/2024.

To learn more about the ӣ����Ƶ Wind Port, please visit:

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