New Jersey governor signs tax break for Orsted’s offshore wind farm

PAULSBORO, N.J. — New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill Thursday giving a tax break to Danish offshore wind developer Orsted for the first of two energy projects it plans in the waters off New Jersey. “Democrats like Governor Murphy who often complain about corporate welfare had absolutely no problem giving $1 billion to a foreign wind farm developer at the expense of New Jersey ratepayers,” Republican state Sen. Michael Testa said in a news release. “Offshore wind and this bill are essential to growing New Jersey’s economy, fighting for climate justice and clean air, and creating good jobs for working families,” said David Pringle, a member of the Clean Water Action environmental group. “The climate crisis is the greatest threat to whales, so we must invest in offshore wind just as the shipping, plastic and fishing industries have to do more to avoid marine mammals being killed from ship strikes, plastic pollution and fishing gear entanglement.” The bill signing came a day after Orsted’s Ocean Wind I project received clearance from the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to begin construction on a wind farm 13 to 15 miles off the coast of Atlantic City and Ocean City.