New Jersey Administrative Code
Title - EXECUTIVE ORDERS
Title 55 - CHRIS CHRISTIE
Section - Executive Order No. 79 (2019)

Universal Citation: NJ Admin Code

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 24, December 18, 2024

Governor Philip D. Murphy

Executive Order No. 79 (2019)

An Order Establishing the Council for the Wind Innovation and New Development Institute (WIND Council)

Issued: August 16, 2019.

Effective: August 16, 2019.

WHEREAS, my administration has committed to promoting the development of offshore wind in this State in a manner that will establish a vibrant offshore wind market and contribute to New Jersey's economic strength; and

WHEREAS, during my first month in office, I issued Executive Order No. 8 (2018), which set a goal of 3,500 megawatts of offshore wind generation by the year 2030; and

WHEREAS, to encourage industry investments, the Economic Development Authority issued a Request for Ideas on September 28, 2018, seeking information from qualified entities regarding the development of offshore wind port infrastructure and a supply chain, and subsequently launched the State's Offshore Wind Tax Credit Program and Offshore Wind Supply Chain Registry; and

WHEREAS, I issued my administration's Economic Development Plan, The State of Innovation: Building a Stronger and Fairer Economy in New Jersey, on October 1, 2018, which highlights the importance of increasing collaborations and connections between the State's academic institutions, entrepreneurial start-ups, and larger private sector companies; and

WHEREAS, the Board of Public Utilities awarded the first 1,100 megawatts of offshore wind generation to be developed in the State on June 21, 2019, moving the State further toward supply chain development and private investments in ports, workforce development, and research for the offshore wind industry; and

WHEREAS, many of New Jersey's higher education institutions currently offer various programs and initiatives related to wind energy, including interdisciplinary scientific research, education, training, and outreach; and

WHEREAS, the creation of a centralized entity to provide collaboration, coordination, and support across the public and private sectors will further New Jersey's leadership position in offshore wind development;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, PHILIP D. MURPHY, Governor of the State of New Jersey, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and by the Statutes of this State, do hereby ORDER and DIRECT:

1. There is hereby established the Council for the Wind Innovation and New Development Institute ("WIND Council"). The WIND Council shall develop a plan for the creation of the Wind Innovation and New Development Institute ("WIND Institute"), which will serve as a clearinghouse for education, research, innovation, and workforce training related to the development of offshore wind in this State and the Northeast region.

2. The WIND Council shall consist of the Chief Policy Adviser to the Governor, the Chief Counsel to the Governor, the Secretary of Higher Education, the Chief Executive Officer of the Economic Development Authority, the President of the Board of Public Utilities, the Commissioner of Education, the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, and the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development, or their respective designees.

3. All members and designees shall serve at the pleasure of the appointing department or agency and without compensation. The Governor may, as determined to be appropriate, appoint additional members to the WIND Council, who shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor.

4. The Council shall be led by a Chairperson(s), who shall be selected by and serve at the pleasure of the Governor.

5. The objectives of the WIND Council shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

a. Recommending a governance structure for the WIND Institute;

b. Identifying available funding mechanisms;

c. Identifying potential physical locations, including a headquarters and possible satellite locations;

d. Conducting a gap analysis of current resources in New Jersey and the region, and the necessary education, workforce training, and workforce development needs to offer a skilled workforce for employers in offshore wind generation;

e. Recommending models and programs for the WIND Institute to partner with the offshore wind industry on critical research and development challenges, with the goal of establishing New Jersey as a long-term hub for offshore wind industry innovation; and

f. Developing and recommending the primary functions of the WIND Institute, including how to define its coordination role, as well as various programs and certifications to be offered by the WIND Institute.

6. To achieve its objectives, the WIND Council shall:

a. Research potential opportunities for college and university systems, corporate partners, utility providers, labor unions, and government agencies to attract, expand, and retain offshore wind employment opportunities;

b. Consider strategies to cultivate regional expertise on the offshore wind industry in New Jersey; and

c. Examine other jurisdictions that have developed a robust offshore wind industry, including but not limited to, various European countries, such as Denmark, the United Kingdom, and Germany.

7. The WIND Council shall engage and seek input from those associated with offshore wind developers, offshore wind supply chain corporations, colleges and universities, labor unions, and other interested parties. The WIND Council shall also consult with the commercial and recreational fishery industries, as well as conservation organizations, to understand what role the WIND Institute can play in supporting multiple uses of marine resources throughout the State in a responsible and prudent manner.

8. The WIND Council shall organize and meet as soon as practicable to begin performing the charges set forth in this Order and as requested by the Governor and Chairperson(s).

9. The WIND Council shall be authorized to call upon any department, office, division, agency or other instrumentality of this State to supply it with information or other assistance as the WIND Council determines to be necessary to discharge its duties under this Order. Each Executive Branch department, office, division, agency or other instrumentality of this State is hereby required, to the extent not inconsistent with law and consistent with budgetary constraints, to cooperate fully with the WIND Council within the limits of its statutory authority and to furnish it with such assistance on as timely a basis as is necessary to accomplish the purposes of this Order.

10. The WIND Council, which shall be purely advisory in nature, shall issue a final report to the Governor with its recommendations no later than four months after the effective date of this Order. The WIND Council shall expire upon the issuance of this report.

11. Nothing in this Order shall be construed to supersede any federal, State, or local law.

12. For purposes of this Order, "Executive Branch departments and agencies" shall mean any of the principal departments in the Executive Branch of State government and any agency, authority, board, bureau, commission, division, institution, office, or other instrumentality within or created by any such department, and any independent State authority, commission, instrumentality, or agency over which the Governor exercises executive authority, as determined by the Attorney General.

13. This Order shall take effect immediately.

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