Monmouth Junction, NJ — Today, Governor Phil Murphy made good on his campaign promise to lead the nation in offshore wind power by signing into law a commitment to 3,500 MW, the largest state offshore wind policy to date.

“The National Wildlife Federation applauds Governor Murphy’s commitment to make New Jersey the nation’s offshore wind leader with the most ambitious state policy in the country. We look forward to working with the Murphy administration to ensure that all projects built to power New Jersey are developed responsibly with the highest standards of wildlife protection in place,” Collin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. “Advancing responsibly developed offshore wind projects will bring clean air, thousands of jobs and reliable, affordable power to New Jersey. We have no time to waste in building a clean energy future for both people and wildlife. Gov. Murphy’s bold leadership is exactly what’s needed to bring this critically needed climate solution online.”

Today’s action builds on Governor Murphy’s bold leadership early in his first term on offshore wind power. In January, the Governor signed Executive Order 8, directing the state to develop an Offshore Wind Master Plan for meeting this 3,500 MW goal. The order includes instructions for wildlife protection, specifically stating that the Plan will “focus on critical components of offshore wind development, including job growth, workforce development, data collection, and appropriate determination of facilities, as well as ensuring that natural resources are protected.”

Enacting the nation’s largest offshore wind policy sends a strong signal to the booming global offshore wind industry that New Jersey is serious about becoming a hub for offshore wind power at a critical moment. Also today, Massachusetts moved forward with its first, and America’s largest, offshore wind project by selecting an 800 MW proposal from Vineyard Wind. Rhode Island also made a major commitment today by selecting its second and largest proposal from Deepwater Wind (400MW). New York has committed to 2,400 MW of offshore wind by 2030, with a 90 MW project already contracted and a stated intention of procuring 800 MW by next year. Maryland has committed to two offshore wind projects, totaling just under 400 MW combined.

Learn more about the National Wildlife Federation’s work to advocate for the responsible development of offshore wind power at Offshore Wind NWF.