TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Jim Whelan that would exempt the purchase of materials or equipment used in the manufacturing of wind energy components from the State sales and use tax was unanimously approved by the Senate Environment and Energy Committee today.
“When it comes to renewable energy, New Jersey has done a great job creating a market for this equipment, but we’ve failed to capitalize on the manufacturing side of the equation,” said Senator Whelan, D-Atlantic, and a member of the Environment Committee. “New Jersey is one of the national leaders in the installation of wind turbines and solar equipment, and yet we cede the manufacture of this equipment to facilities outside of our State, and in most cases, outside of our country. We need to do a better job at promoting the manufacturing side of renewable energy equipment, so that we maximize the economic benefit to the State of New Jersey.”