The ‘next generation of jobs’
Back in 2010, former Democratic state Sen. Steve Sweeney spearheaded New Jersey’s original offshore wind legislation.
“The reason why we did offshore wind was for the environment, but it was also for the manufacturing,” said Sweeney. “We wanted this to be an American industry, not an industry where the Europeans just send everything over to us and we install.”
At the time, there was bipartisan support for offshore wind. Then Republican Gov. Chris Christie signed the legislation. But Sweeney said it’s now become a partisan issue.
Sweeney, a union ironworker, said a pause in offshore wind could impact hundreds of union jobs.
While the New Jersey wind port will have plenty of business no matter what Trump does should he win, Sweeney said, the state has also invested $164 million dollars in EEW’s manufacturing plant in Paulsboro. The plant produces monopiles, the…
