New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has announced the creation of the New Jersey Offshore Wind Supply Chain Registry to enable offshore wind investors to find local partners for their projects.
Image: New Jersey to launch free registry for state-based offshore wind suppliers. Photo: Courtesy of doskey12/Pixabay.
As per Governor Phil Murphy, the registry will be developed as part of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority’s (NJEDA) membership in the Business Network for Offshore Wind and will create a free online portal for investors to find Jersey-based companies to partner with or to purchase from.
Governor Murphy said: “Developing a robust offshore wind industry is a key step to building a stronger, fairer New Jersey economy that provides good jobs and protects our environment for future generations. The offshore wind supply chain registry will facilitate the delivery of our offshore wind projects and ensure New Jersey companies are first in line for opportunities they create.”
The NJEDA has been working with the state’s Board of Public Utilities (BPU) and other agencies on the Offshore Wind Task Force to expand and strengthen the state’s offshore wind industry. Throughout the process, a major challenge has been the lack of comprehensive list of state-based companies that offshore wind companies can partner or purchase, in order to develop new offshore projects in the state.
The new registry, when complete, is claimed to attract more offshore wind companies to the state and create new opportunities from the state-based companies.
As per the state government, the Network will generally not open its registry to public, but the partnership with the NJEDA will provide free access to the New Jersey-based companies list through its website.
To accelerate the development of the registry and ensure that it is ready to support the state’s 1.1GW requests of proposals, the NJEDA is working with the Business Network for Offshore Wind, an organization dedicated for the development of US offshore wind industry.
NJEDA CEO Tim Sullivan said: “From our coastline to our robust infrastructure to our unparalleled workforce, New Jersey has all the ingredients to be a regional leader in offshore wind. Now it is important that we give New Jersey businesses the tools and exposure they need to take full advantage of this opportunity.
“The Offshore Wind Supply Chain Registry will make sure New Jersey-based businesses and the New Jersey communities they support benefit from the growth of this industry now and for years to come.”