The US state of New Jersey has decided to set a higher capacity target for the upcoming solicitation round of offshore wind energy projects.

Targeted capacity for the third solicitation round for wind energy at sea is now at 4GW against 1.2GW previously, reports RechargeNews citing a draft document for the round published by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) Tuesday.

The document also details the terms and conditions for the round, including added criteria for investments in the supply chain and networks as a way of helping the state move closer towards the objective of developing an ”offshore wind hub,” notes Recharge News.

The draft also includes an inflation-adjusted mechanism as well as additional minimum requirements for environmental and fishery protection plans. Moreover, bids will be weighed 70% on price and 30% on non-price factors.

New Jersey has set a target to achieve wind at sea capacity of 40GW by 2040. Danish utility Ørsted is very much a key player in the expansion plans, having been chosen to set up the first large-scale wind farm in the state: The 1.1GW Ocean Wind project.

Since then, Ørsted was also selected for the 1,148MW Ocean Wind 2 project in the state’s second solicitation round. The Danish company is developing both projects together with various partners.

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