Phil Murphy, a Democratic Party candidate in the 2017 New Jersey gubernatorial race, has revealed details of his State Energy Master Plan which calls for 3,500MW of commissioned offshore wind capacity by 2030.
Murphy committed to starting the process of creating the new State Energy Master Plan within his first 100 days in office to set New Jersey on a path to 100 percent clean energy by 2050.
“For our state’s environmental and economic futures, this is nothing short of a time of action. I am prepared to be a governor of action, who turns our state’s thinking around, and who sets us on a future course to both do well and do good, and to prove that economic growth and environmental protection are not mutually exclusive,” said Murphy .
“We can base a new and stronger middle class on innovation and clean energy, and ensure all communities take part.”
Murphy noted that moving to a clean-energy economy would encourage innovation and create jobs, as every USD 1 spent on early-stage clean energy research and development generates an additional USD 1.60 in output from other sectors of the economy.
He said his plan would maximize this potential, in large part, supporting innovation and R&D in higher education.
The New Jersey state primaries are scheduled for 6 June, with the election slated for 7 November.