Friend,

The past few months have been among the most trying times in our state’s history. We’ve pulled together to flatten the curve and reduce the spread of COVID-19, reopen our economy driven by data and public health, all while confronting the ugly history of institutional racism in our country. 

But that doesn’t mean we’ve taken our eye off the ball on other priorities.

Yesterday, we announced plans to develop the New Jersey Wind Port, a first-in-the-nation infrastructure investment that will provide a central location for essential staging, assembly, and manufacturing activities related to offshore wind projects on the East Coast.

The Wind Port is a major piece of our plan to transition to a 100% clean energy future by 2050. This project alone has the potential to create up to 1,500 manufacturing, assembly, and operations jobs, as well as hundreds of construction jobs in New Jersey. Manufacturing and marshalling projects supported by the Wind Port will drive economic growth in Salem County, in South Jersey, and throughout the state. We are committed to using union labor to construct the Wind Port and intend to set a new standard for inclusion of minority and women workers and business owners. Construction is targeted to begin in 2021.

Offshore wind is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to not only protect our environment but also greatly expand our economy in a way that has immediate impacts and paves the way for long-term growth. We’re taking advantage of New Jersey’s structural advantages to bring an entirely new industry to our state -- once completed, the Wind Port will establish our state as the national capital for offshore wind. This is a large part of how we are building a stronger, more resilient economy coming out of the pandemic.

You can watch my announcement of the Wind Port project here. 

Thank you to everyone who helped launch this ambitious project, which will not only support our Energy Master Plan goals of 100% clean energy by 2050, but also create much-needed union jobs in Salem County and surrounding areas. Their advocacy and support was crucial to getting this important project off the ground.

This project was spearheaded by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority and its Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan, and it’s an example of the kind of transformative economic development we are capable of when our imagination matches our potential. 

As we slowly, smartly, and steadily reopen our state and start to move past the trauma of COVID-19, we can’t settle for going back to business as usual. As governor, I am proud to lead a state where we raise our ambitions and find opportunities like this one to make New Jersey stronger and fairer for everyone. My commitment to you is that I will never stop fighting for those values. 

Thank you, 

Governor Phil Murphy