Project Diversity Goals Require Good-Faith Effort to Award 15 Percent of Contract Value to Women-, Minority-, or Veteran-Owned Subcontractors  

TRENTON, N.J. (November 30, 2020) – The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) today took a major step toward development of the New Jersey Wind Port, a first-of-its-kind offshore wind manufacturing and marshalling facility located in Lower Alloways Creek, by issuing a Request of Qualifications (RFQ) for Construction Management Services related to the project. In line with the NJEDA’s commitment to utilizing local union labor and setting a new standard for diversity and inclusion, the project will be subject to a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) and the RFQ includes a goal of awarding 15 percent of the total contract value to subcontractors, equipment lessors, and/or material suppliers that are minority-, women-, or veteran-owned.
 
The RFQ is available on the NJEDA website at NJEDA – Bidding Opportunities – Real Estate Procurement Opportunities. Responses are due by 1:00 p.m. on January 5, 2021. 
 
“Offshore wind is a rapidly growing industry, and a wave of major projects is already planned along the East Coast. By providing purpose-built infrastructure that supports the industry’s unique needs, the New Jersey Wind Port will attract millions of dollars in investment and create thousands of good jobs for New Jersey residents,” said NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan. “The RFQ issued today is an important step that moves us closer to realizing the economic and environmental benefits that an expanded offshore wind industry will bring to New Jersey, and the PLA and diversity benchmarks will ensure these benefits are available equitably to local workers and women- and minority-owned businesses.”
 
The New Jersey Wind Port is 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. The Wind Port 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.
 
Construction of the New Jersey Wind Port is planned in two phases, beginning in 2021. Phase 1 will comprise the development of an approximately 30-acre site to accommodate marshalling activities and an approximately 35-acre Tier 1 component manufacturing site. Phase 2 adds a further 150 acres or more to accommodate expanded marshalling activities and extensive manufacturing facilities for turbine components like blades and nacelles.
 
The RFQ released today seeks to identify a Construction Manager at Risk (CM) for the New Jersey Wind Port project. The selected CM will perform both Pre-Construction and Construction services to execute on the NJEDA’s proposed design. The project will be subject to a Project Labor Agreement (PLA), which will help to ensure local union workers have the opportunity to work on the project and that it is completed on schedule. In line with the Authority’s goal to use the project to set a new standard for diversity and inclusion, the selected CM will be required to make a good-faith effort to ensure at least 15 percent of the contract value is subcontracted to women-, minority-, or veteran-owned businesses.
 
Progress toward these diversity and inclusion goals as well as the continued engagement of local South Jersey businesses and women-, minority-, and veteran-owned businesses will be informed by a New Jersey Wind Port Diversity and Local Engagement Advisory Committee. Created to increase opportunities for historically marginalized populations and local community members to participate in the New Jersey Wind Port project, the Diversity and Local Engagement Advisory Committee will provide input and thought leadership on the project and overall development of New Jersey’s offshore wind industry. The Advisory Committee will hold its first meeting before the end of 2020.
 
“Providing equitable access to the opportunities the New Jersey Wind Port creates is central to achieving the NJEDA’s goal of making this project a new standard for diversity and supporting Governor Murphy’s vision for a stronger, fairer New Jersey,” said NJEDA Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Michelle Bodden. “In the past, women- and minority-owned businesses, as well as other historically marginalized groups, have been left out of projects of this scope. Taking a proactive approach that prioritizes including diverse businesses during the construction phase is a first step in reversing this trend and ensuring that the Wind Port’s economic benefits are distributed fairly.”
 
More information and the full RFQ is available at NJEDA – Bidding Opportunities – Real Estate Procurement Opportunities. Questions regarding the RFQ must be submitted by email to QARED@njeda.com by 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, December 16, 2020. Questions and answers will be posted on the NJEDA’s website.
 
More information about the New Jersey Wind Port is available at https://nj.gov/windport.
 
 
About the New Jersey Economic Development Authority

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) serves as the State’s principal agency for driving economic growth. The NJEDA is committed to making New Jersey a national model for inclusive and sustainable economic development by focusing on key strategies to help build strong and dynamic communities, create good jobs for New Jersey residents, and provide pathways to a stronger and fairer economy. Through partnerships with a diverse range of stakeholders, the NJEDA creates and implements initiatives to enhance the economic vitality and quality of life in the State and strengthen New Jersey’s long-term economic competitiveness.
 
To learn more about NJEDA resources for businesses call NJEDA Customer Care at 609-858-6767 or visit https://www.njeda.gov and follow @NewJerseyEDA on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
 

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TRENTON, N.J. (September 9, 2020) – The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) and the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) today approved two Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) that will make nearly $6 million available to support offshore wind and other clean energy projects in the State. Under the agreements, New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program™ (NJCEP), which is administered by NJBPU, will provide $4.5 million to support NJEDA-led workforce development projects aimed at preparing more New Jersey workers for jobs in offshore wind, and $1.25 million to support early-stage, New Jersey-based cleantech companies.
 
“Ever since Governor Murphy took office, we have been moving at a whirlwind pace on offshore wind, and especially with the twin crises of COVID-19’s economic devastation and climate change, we are not slowing down any time soon. Fueling our clean energy renaissance will be renewables like offshore wind, and since these industries don’t build themselves, we couldn’t be prouder to be developing a homegrown, inclusive, world-class workforce of cleantech and offshore wind technicians right here in the Garden State. New Jersey has the wind, and the time to get in on our new innovation economy – located in the strong winds right off our 130-mile coastline – is now,” said NJBPU President Joseph L. Fiordaliso.
 
 “Clean energy is the future and positioning New Jersey to lead the way in offshore wind and other clean energy initiatives is crucial not only to growing our state’s economy, but also to creating good jobs and business opportunities for workers and business owners in New Jersey,” said NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan. “The NJEDA’s partnership with the NJBPU will prepare New Jersey students and workers for clean energy jobs coming to our state and help innovative New Jersey companies lead in the clean energy and cleantech space. These are important steps that will support workers and companies impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and pave the way for a strong, sustainable recovery.”  
 
Both Governor Phil Murphy’s ambitious New Jersey Energy Master Plan released earlier this year and his visionary Stronger and Fairer Economic Plan identify offshore wind and clean energy as target sectors that have strong potential to drive long-term, sustainable economic growth in New Jersey. In line with these plans, New Jersey has committed to producing 7,500 megawatts of offshore wind energy by 2035 and a wave of offshore wind projects is slated for development along the East Coast, with the first project – Ørsted’s Ocean Wind –  coming online in 2024.
 
Earlier this year, the Governor’s WIND Council released a report outlining recommendations for the creation of the WIND Institute to coordinate workforce and innovation efforts to position New Jersey as a leader in offshore wind and to ensure equitable access to opportunities in this new and expanding industry for minorities and women. With the MOUs approved today, the NJEDA and NJBPU will jumpstart progress toward implementing these recommendations with a total of $5.75 million in funding.
 
The first MOU provides $4.5 million to support offshore wind workforce development projects. Examples of these programs include: a competition to develop the first Global Wind Organization (GWO) safety training program in the Mid-Atlantic region; best-in-class wind turbine technician training programs; a plan to establish pathways for New Jersey students and workers to enter the offshore wind industry; and seminars about offshore wind job creation for labor unions, high schools, vocational technical schools, colleges, and universities so that students, energy workers, and job seekers can train to work in the industry.
 
In the second MOU, NJBPU will provide $1.25 million to fund programs supporting innovative, early-stage cleantech companies in New Jersey. The NJEDA plans to use this funding in partnership with the New Jersey Commission on Science Innovation and Technology (NJCSIT) to develop a seed grant program that will aid local cleantech businesses during critical proof of concept and prototyping stages. The NJEDA also intends to execute a research and development asset mapping and voucher initiative to increase equitable access to and utilization of the State’s existing cleantech innovation programs and initiatives.
 
The funding will be utilized immediately, with the aim of establishing operational programs by mid-2021.
  
 
About the New Jersey Economic Development Authority
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) serves as the State’s principal agency for driving economic growth. The NJEDA is committed to making New Jersey a national model for inclusive and sustainable economic development by focusing on key strategies to help build strong and dynamic communities, create good jobs for New Jersey residents, and provide pathways to a stronger and fairer economy. Through partnerships with a diverse range of stakeholders, the NJEDA creates and implements initiatives to enhance the economic vitality and quality of life in the State and strengthen New Jersey’s long-term economic competitiveness. To learn more about NJEDA resources for businesses call NJEDA Customer Care at 609-858-6767 or visit https://www.njeda.gov and follow @NewJerseyEDA on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.
 
 
About the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU)
 
NJBPU is a state agency and regulatory authority mandated to ensure safe, adequate and proper utility services at reasonable rates for New Jersey customers. Critical services regulated by NJBPU include natural gas, electricity, water, wastewater, telecommunications and cable television. The Board has general oversight and responsibility for monitoring utility service, responding to consumer complaints, and investigating utility accidents. To find out more about NJBPU, visit our website at www.nj.gov/bpu, and follow NJBPU on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.
 
About New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program (NJCEP)
 
NJCEP, established on January 22, 2003, in accordance with the Electric Discount and Energy Competition Act (EDECA), provides financial and other incentives to the State's residential customers, businesses and schools that install high-efficiency or renewable energy technologies, thereby reducing energy usage, lowering customers' energy bills and reducing environmental impacts. The program is authorized and overseen by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU), and its website is www.NJCleanEnergy.com. You can follow NJCEP on Facebook and Twitter.
 
 

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