Murphy establishes council to design wind-power institute

Gov. Phil Murphy signed an executive order Friday to establish a Council for the Wind Innovation and New Development Institute.

“From job creation to workforce development to reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, the WIND Institute and the council tasked with its development make good on our commitment to building a New Jersey economy fit for the 21st century,” Murphy said.

WIND is charged with the development and implementation of a plan that creates a regional hub for the state’s offshore wind industry. Murphy’s administration has said it is committed to making the state a national leader in offshore wind.

“Centralizing the state’s resources under one roof allows us to leverage the considerable expertise at our disposal to enhance our position as a national leader in offshore wind development,” Murphy said.

The council established through the order will recommend the institute’s governance structure and main functions, as well as identify funding sources and pre-existing flaws.

The council is cross-governmental, with representatives from the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, Economic Development Authority, Board of Public Utilities and the departments of Education, Environmental Protection and Labor & Workforce Development, in addition to the governor’s chief policy adviser and chief counsel.

The administration says the WIND institute, which first surfaced in Murphy’s 2018 economic plan, will position the state as a leader in the industry through job creation, workforce development, research and development, and capital investment.

The council will issue a final report to the governor with recommendations on creating the WIND institute within four months of the council’s creation.

To read Executive Order No. 79, click here.