It’s Thursday, June 18, and New Jersey’s new offshore wind energy goals will blow you away.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy unveiled plans to build the nation’s first port serving the nascent offshore wind industry. The state is planning to transform 30 acres along the Delaware River’s Eastern Shore into an assembly arena for gigantic wind turbines taller than the Washington Monument.

The state is aiming to generate 7,500 megawatts of energy from offshore wind by 2035, enough to power half of the Garden State’s homes. State officials plan to kick off construction in 2021 and hope the site will eventually employ up to 1,500 people.

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“We will take full advantage of our world-leading and central geographic location, one that is perfectly situated for offshore wind marshalling, to drive growth of a new industry right here,” Governor Murphy said during an earlier press briefing. “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity.”

New Jersey is also getting serious about making sure that the benefits of clean energy are equitably distributed. The president of the state’s board of utilities, Joseph Fiordaliso, vowed this week to establish a new Office of Clean Energy Equity. The office would help bring solar and other renewable projects to low-income communities.

Rachel Ramirez

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The Smog

Need-to-know basis

The Environmental Protection Agency has finalized a decision not to regulate perchlorate, an ingredient in rocket fuel, as a drinking water contaminant, despite a court order requiring the agency to set limits for the chemical. The chemical has been linked to adverse health effects in pregnant women and young children.

A wildfire near Phoenix, Arizona, became the seventh-largest fire in the state’s history on Wednesday when it grew to nearly 90,000 acres. Dry conditions, heat, and wind helped spread the blaze. Approximately 2,000 people were forced to evacuate.

The world’s 13 largest dairy farms produce combined emissions comparable to the total generated by the entire United Kingdom, a new analysis found. Emissions from the mega-dairies grew 11 percent between 2015 and 2017, due in large part to consolidation in the sector and rising production.

Zoya Teirstein