Over the past year, the CT Roundtable on Climate and Jobs (CRCJ) has worked with allies to build broad support for an offshore wind mandate of at least 2000 MW by 2030. An aggressive long-term commitment is necessary, not only to meet the state’s ambitious climate and clean energy goals, but also to demonstrate to offshore wind developers that Connecticut is serious about becoming a hub for the emerging regional industry. Now is the critical period when those developers are making investment decisions that will shape the industry for decades.

 

Other states are leaping forward in the race for offshore wind. Massachusetts, Maryland and New Jersey all have legislative mandates ranging from 1200 MW to 3500 MW, and Gov. Cuomo has committed NY to 9000 MW by 2035. So far, Connecticut has committed to a mere 300 MW.

 

The good news is that a 2000 MW mandate has strong bipartisan support in both the House and Senate. House Bill 7156, which was approved by the Energy & Technology Committee in March, also has the strongest labor and environmental provisions of any state statute in the region. As of this writing, negotiations on final bill language are still underway, but we are confident that HB 7156 (or its counterpart Senate Bill 875) will move toward passage in the coming weeks. Connecticut has an opportunity to demonstrate regional leadership and secure significant in-state investment in local jobs and supply chain activities.