Statement from Rob Freudenberg, Vice President of Energy & Environment, on Ocean Wind 1 and Ocean Wind 2 in New Jersey:

With near daily evidence that the impacts of climate change are here and are getting worse, it is abundantly clear that we need to work aggressively to reduce our contributions of planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions. Implementing offshore wind is one critical pathway to not only move away from polluting fossil fuels that accelerate climate impacts and threaten the public health of our communities, but also provides the opportunity to move toward a new industry in our region that reinvigorates our waterfront ports, offers next generation jobs to skilled workers, and positions our region for investment and sustainable growth.

That is why we are so sorely disappointed in the decision to not move forward with two major offshore wind projects - Ocean Wind 1 and Ocean Wind 2 - in New Jersey. Despite the State’s best efforts to save the projects, the economic climate within which these projects were conceived shifted too dramatically, largely driven by the pandemic. Losing these projects only increases the urgency to bring more renewable projects online and quickly.

We stand firmly behind the development of offshore wind in our region and eagerly anticipate New Jersey’s forthcoming selection of the next round of offshore wind projects in the NY-NJ Bight and its precedent-setting offshore wind transmission approach.