New Jersey spending $6M for wind and other clean energy projects

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(Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

TRENTON - New Jersey is spending almost $6 million to train workers for jobs in the wind energy industry and to support young companies that deal in clean energy.

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority and the state Board of Public Utilities said Wednesday they have approved two funding agreements.

In the first, the state will provide $4.5 million to support workforce development projects aimed at preparing more New Jersey workers for jobs in offshore wind.

MORE: NJ aims to grab wind energy leadership with turbine facility

Examples include a competition to develop the first Global Wind Organization safety training program in the Mid-Atlantic region; wind turbine technician training programs; a plan to establish pathways for New Jersey students and workers to enter the offshore wind industry; and seminars about offshore wind job creation for labor unions, high schools, vocational technical schools, colleges, and universities.

In the second, $1.25 million will be made available to support early-stage, New Jersey-based clean tech companies. The NJEDA plans to use this funding in partnership with the New Jersey Commission on Science Innovation and Technology to develop a grant program to aid local clean tech businesses during the proof-of-concept and prototyping stages.

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