NJ/NY Offshore Wind Supplier Forum Focuses on Growth and Collaboration

On Oct 31, 2024

As part of the ongoing collaboration between New York and New Jersey, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) recently co-hosted the “New York & New Jersey Offshore Wind Supplier Forum,” in Atlantic City. The forum, part of a bi-annual series, connected local businesses with developers and other contracted suppliers to explore opportunities in offshore wind, helping New Jersey and New York businesses to build the knowledge and relationships needed for success in the growing industry.

The event brought together more than 350 registered attendees from the regional offshore wind industry eager to supply products and services for projects along the East Coast.

“Through our partnership with NYSERDA, we were able to provide businesses across the region with critical information and a forum to directly connect with new opportunities in the growing sector,” said NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan.

“Governor Hochul’s firm commitment to advancing offshore wind development while reducing its cost is bolstered by New York and New Jersey’s shared vision for a regional supply chain to support regional and national efforts to deploy this resource at scale,” said NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen M. Harris. “Together, we can leverage the lessons learned from overcoming obstacles and keep driving progress for this powerhouse industry.”

At the event, the states announced the launch of a joint workforce development website, offshorewindtraining.org, which includes occupation descriptions, funding opportunities, and a map of all the offshore wind training locations in both New Jersey and New York.

Attendees networked among developers and suppliers, as well as attended several informative sessions on supply chain development. Notably, the session “New York-New Jersey Partnership Success Story,” offered valuable insight into how New Jersey and New York businesses collaborated with European partners to localize components, creating a major manufacturing success in the rapidly growing US offshore wind industry.

“The Offshore Wind Supplier Forum was a valuable opportunity that we were proud to be a part of,” said Chris Johnston, vice president of offshore wind at Riggs Distler. “Our session highlighted the importance of making connections and developing relationships with other like-mind organizations to support these large-scale construction projects. Our work with Smulders and LJUNGSTROM and other Tier 2 and Tier 3 suppliers was built on the collaborative drive towards a sustainable future as we actively shape the offshore wind landscape.”

Consistent with the commitment to support small businesses, the Forum featured 10 New Jersey and New York companies that made a two-minute pitch each to present their capabilities and highlight the services they can offer for offshore wind projects to an audience of developers and other primary component suppliers.

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