< Previous138 JULY 2021 S I T E S EL E C T I O N opportunities for residents to gain access to the critical training, education and skills required to compete for in-demand jobs.” New Incentives to Lure Companies to New Jersey’s Shores In June, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) approved a series of amendments to the Offshore Wind Economic Development Tax Credit Program. The changes were made to reflect the New Jersey Economic Recovery Act signed by Gov. Murphy in January. The Offshore Wind Economic Development Tax Credit Program provides tax credits for capital investment in a qualified wind energy facility in New Jersey. It is designed to spur employment growth and offshore wind supply chain development as a result of capital investment in land-based offshore wind industry projects. The changes include modifying the period over which tax credits are paid out from 10 years to five years; revising the minimum number of new full-time jobs required to be eligible for the program from 300 to 150, and allowing for a project to ramp up jobs over time; and expanding the program to the entire state. The shorter pay-out timeframe is better suited to rapidly scale brand-new operations to support wind farm projects across the U.S. East Coast. The changes also create a pathway for additional projects to participate in the program. Previously a project needed at least 300 new full-time jobs to be eligible for tax credits. Now projects creating between 150-300 new full-time jobs can apply for tax credits. However, awards will be sized using a pro-rated award formula. In recognition of offshore wind being a new industry in the state, the rules also now allow a project to ramp up job creation over the first four years. “As a result of Governor Murphy’s vision for New Jersey as a national hub for offshore wind, the state is well-positioned to lead this rapidly-growing sector. The changes to the Offshore Wind Tax Credit approved by our Board today will enable greater flexibility for businesses creating new jobs in New Jersey,” said NJEDA CEO Tim Sullivan. “Companies up and down the offshore wind supply chain will find that New Jersey offers a vast pool of skilled talent, a firm commitment to investment in first-rate offshore wind infrastructure, and an innovation ecosystem that offers resources to prepare companies for this vast opportunity.” Ørsted’s Burbo Bank Offshore Wind Farm in the Irish Sea has been fully operational since 2007. Photo courtesy of Ørsted S I T E SE L E C T ION JULY 2021 139 happening at the same time,” he said. “So the labor market shrunk, but we know there are tens of thousands of people that are on the curb that are still part of the labor force, but they’re not being counted. And when they’re not being counted, leadership, decisions and policies aren’t taking that into account.” This creates another urgency in getting people off the sidelines. And it’s the personalized nature of skills data that provides a needed advantage when supporting people re-entering the workforce. The Power of Personalized Data Nevada was well positioned to make the best of a bad situation. With strategies and target industries already built with labor market information (LMI), they knew where the state needed to go. COVID threw a wrinkle in things by compressing the time frame. “There’s been a big shift, and this has really amped it up. A lot of things that would have taken 10 years to move forward have been compressed into a year,” Potts said. LMI is accurate, reliable, and comprehensive, making it vital for strategic planning and answering many workforce questions. But one thing it isn’t is timely, making it difficult to respond and adjust to evolving situations. “One of the first questions that came at me was who’s hiring,” Potts said. Data from job postings and profiles allow decision-makers to answer that question and understand the current state of the labor market. In this way, postings and profiles data (and the skills therein) don’t replace LMI but build on it by adding a real-time component. Nevada SkillsMatch uses the skills of jobseekers — from their resume, education, past experience, and those they self-select — to match them to the skills being sought by employers in job postings. If there are skills a jobseeker wants to learn, or needs to learn to pursue their desired job, local training recommendations are made to close that skill gap. This flips the job board experience on its head, starts with the individual and speaks their language. “This is something that speaks people-speak,” said Potts. “People don’t speak in terms of a lot of the jargon that’s in the labor market data or in program data out there. They speak like what you guys have done with SkillsMatch.” Using the language of jobseekers and connecting with where they are at personalizes the platform. The result is the opportunity to reach more people, especially those that aren’t on traditional career or education paths. Using skills data in this way is a piece in a larger puzzle of getting Nevadans back to work and reimagining workforce development. With the community college system, work is being done to align training with skills being sought by employers (high-value credentials). Similarly, discussions have begun of how skills can transfer to credit at universities. But for many jobseekers, traditional higher education isn’t a likely path. “Many of our dislocated workers have never stepped foot on a college campus,” Young noted. “Because they’re terrified that they won’t fit in.” To meet these individuals where they’re at, various access points are being established. “We’re working with the library systems from across the state because they are the easiest point of entry for a lot of people. So if they don’t want to go to community college because they feel intimidated, well, let’s go to your local library where all you need is a library card and we’ve got all of these training programs and we’ll help guide you,” Young said. And they are truly being guided. Navigators have been hired to assist with both the education side and the personal wraparound services jobseekers may need for success. With Nevada’s rollout of SkillsMatch, Potts sees the opportunity to use skills to meet needs across the state and serve more than just those impacted by the pandemic. “It’s very approachable, available to everybody,” he said. “Urban, rural, north, south, across the state — not only for folks that were dislocated, but also for folks thinking about a career change or something they’ve always dreamed of doing.” Helping people make such a career change or pursue a dream job has long been a driving force behind data in workforce development. And skills double down on the power of data to help make better decisions. This article first appeared on the Emsi Burning Glass blog. Using skills data in this way is a piece in a larger puzzle of getting Nevadans back to work and reimagining workforce development. (Continued from page 100)T 140 JULY 2021 S I T E S EL E C T I O N LO U IS IA N A Top 5 Projects by Capital Investment COMPANY CITY CAPEX $M Louisiana Green Fuels Group Columbia 700 Exxon Mobil Corp. Baton Rouge 410 Amazon.com Shreveport 200 Amazon.com Baton Rouge 200 Canfor Corp. DeRidder 160 Source: Conway Projects Database Higher Ed. R&D Expenditure in $000s: 2,475,305 Number of NCRCs: 115,416 | Percent Improvement 2019–2020: 0.31% Business Tax Climate Rank Change 2020–2021: 0 Industrial power cost per kWh: $7.11 Total Revenue as Share of Total Expenses, FY 2004-2019: 104.7% 2020 Workers’ Comp Index Rate: 1.81 Source: Site Selection State of the States Report, January 2021 National Rankings Bourbon Street, New Orleans, Getty Images by MARK AREND mark.arend@siteselection.com Renewable Fuel Projects Are on Tap Louisiana is in the running — or has been selected already — for three major renewable fuel plants. Delta Biofuel announced in late June that it is evaluating Iberia Parish for a planned $ million renewable fuel plant. e planned production facility would produce biomass fuel pellets made from residual sugarcane ber known as bagasse. If located in Louisiana, Delta would create new direct jobs with an average salary of $ ,. Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project would also result in indirect jobs, for a total new jobs in the Acadiana region. e production facility’s peak construction would generate up to construction jobs. Delta has secured long-term supplies of feedstock bagasse, which can be processed into biomass fuel pellets and used alongside, or in lieu of, standard industrial wood pellets in power generation. Bagasse fuel pellets are lower-cost alternatives to typical wood pellets and result in greater reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, or GHGs. European and Asian power and industrial heating plants transitioning away from fossil fuels now use over million metric tons per year of wood pellet biomass, primarily displacing thermal coal as a feedstock. e use of biomass fuel pellets results in a reduction of GHG emissions of more than % versus the use of fossil fuel in these plants. e Jeanerette facility would produce up to , metric tons of bagasse fuel pellets annually. e company would source all excess bagasse from four nearby sugar mills in Iberia, St. Mary and St. Martin parishes. Sourcing from these mills allows alternative use of the mills’ unneeded waste. Additionally, Delta has engaged European and Asian energy production facilities for multi- S T A TE SPO TLIGHT LOUISIANA 2015 State 2015 2014 Rank Proj. Count Rank 1 Texas 702 1 2 Ohio 517 2 3 Illinois 413 3 4 North Carolina 300 4 5 Kentucky 285 6 6 Michigan 217 7 7 Georgia 211 5 8 Pennsylvania 202 8 9 Virginia 167 11 10 Indiana 166 12 Source: Conway Projects Database Sample b y Number of Pr ojects S I T E S E L E C T I O N JULY 2021 141142 JULY 2021 S I T E S EL E C T I O N year commitments to purchase the fuel pellets. The Bayou Biomass Alternative “Our bagasse pellet manufacturing plant will provide a sustainable, long- term solution for the sugar mills by utilizing all excess bagasse produced each harvest. This will not only reduce cost and liability for the mills but will eliminate methane emissions from the discarded bagasse that you can see in huge piles around the state,” said Delta Biofuel CEO Philip Keating. “These pellets are then delivered to power generation facilities, which produce renewable electricity. We see Louisiana and its sugar industry as a terrific and reliable source of biomass for alternative fuel production. We have been able to collaborate with our partner sugar mills to produce a solution for their needs, while establishing a viable project that can deliver long-term economic impact for the region and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in electricity production. Combine this with the fantastic industrial labor force and the support from the state, and we eventually expect to do even more beyond this initial project.” PBF Chalmette is studying the possible conversion of an idled refinery unit into a renewable diesel production complex. The refinery’s parent company, PBF Energy, would make a $550 million capital investment to retrofit a hydrocracker unit — out of operation since 2010 — with new technology to accommodate renewable diesel production. The project also would include construction of a pretreatment unit that will allow Chalmette Refining to create non-fossil feedstocks S I T E S E L E C T I O N JULY 2021 143 from soybean oil, corn oil and other biogenically derived fats and oils. PBF Energy and its potential partners are considering Chalmette Refining along with other facilities for the renewable diesel project, and it expects to make a final investment decision after local taxing bodies in St. Bernard Parish consider the project. PBF is one of the largest independent refining companies in the U.S. In addition to its Louisiana facility, PBF operates two refineries in California and one each in Ohio, Delaware and New Jersey. “The devastating economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the energy industry is undeniable — we’ve seen eight U.S. refineries shut down since the beginning of 2020, including one down the road in St. James Parish,” noted PBF Chalmette Refinery Manager Steven Krynski. “PBF Energy is looking Bagasse pellets, derived from sugarcane fiber, will power Delta Biofuel’s renewable diesel plant in the Acadiana region. Photo: Getty ImagesAMAZINGLY WITTY SIDEBAR HEADLINE O cae cumque quis magnatempore nos con pliquo eneture hendem sequamus alibusam que parum la conem esed que pror sitatemqui undemporeste eum dolecae endi audi audiatat dissusdae ni cum iur, utatquid quideli genimagnime repero conemporibea que pliqui con proratem et plab int aborro minto etur magnis aliaepe rferovidus et est, cusandaes corrovi ducieni asinum inverrovit exceat la sam que sitassi ium nectur aut faceaquia sam fuga. Et landicae pore comni con re ereius ut asperum lab in porerorum que prate parciliquat. Rati sintus eum quisqui ad quiatem quibus, corum aut fugia cus, serum ea voluptat aut quiat. To dent voloresero iur atquiaessi doluptur sint dolorecta quas idesequiatur simagnis iduciassi ut fugita des escipsam dolum aut elitat. Olor aut fuga. Ro voluptae velecatquat ommodit facea veni culparum int qui vellore odist dem repudita cor reperro imporibus dolorepera quatqui dolessi tatur? Qui cus ni ut laboreiciis aces ernam dolupisim ut re vollabore cus doluptam qui alitatu rectatis am, corum inum re nobis ex et dolorio. Orerchil Amazon plans to open two robotics fulfi llment centers in Louisiana, each of which have a capital investment of $200 million and will employ more than 1,000 workers. In May the e-commerce giant announced its fi rst robotics fulfi llment center in the state would be located in Shreveport. The center will include contemporary robotics technology, inventory and shipping operations in a multi-level building with a 650,000-sq.-ft. foundation. In June, Amazon announced it is building a similar but larger facility (with an 820,000-sq.- ft. foundation) in Baton Rouge. The development will generate 800 construction jobs, and Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project will result in an additional 1,139 new indirect jobs, for a total of more than 2,100 permanent new jobs in Louisiana’s Capital Region. Construction is already underway for the Baton Rouge facility, with plans to open the site by December 2022. SHREVEPORT, BATON ROUGE LAND AMAZON PROJECTSfor projects that will create stability for our workforce, prepare the re nery for a green energy transition and help us recover from the losses of the last year and a half. Louisiana nancial incentives like the Industrial Tax Exemption and Quality Jobs programs help make the numbers work, especially as our company and entire industry recover from the pandemic. With the support of our state and local leaders, I am hopeful we will be able to bring this project and its economic bene ts to St. Bernard Parish.” Renewable Aviation Fuel In April, Strategic Biofuels LLC announced that the company’s wholly owned subsidiary, Louisiana Green Fuels, plans to develop a renewable diesel plant near the Caldwell Parish seat of Columbia. Situated on a -acre ( -hectare) site at the Port of Columbia, the plant would produce up to million gallons of renewable fuel annually through established re nery processes with wood waste as the feedstock. e company is completing feasibility and nancing phases for the project in anticipation of a nal investment decision by late . Louisiana Green Fuels would make a capital investment of at least $ million and would create new direct jobs. Strategic Biofuels has raised % of its early-stage nancing from investors in North Louisiana. In addition to the Columbia renewable diesel re nery, the company envisions the development of additional Louisiana re neries that would target production of renewable aviation fuel, as well as diesel. “Caldwell Parish is the ideal location for our Louisiana Green Fuels plant,” said Dr. Paul Schubert, CEO of Strategic Biofuels. “It combines the required forestry waste feedstock for fuel production and the right geology for carbon sequestration within the State of Louisiana’s visionary legislative framework, which has been further strengthened by the Climate Initiative established by Governor Edwards. We are especially thankful for his signature on the recent $ million tax-free bond allocation, which substantially advances the nancing for this project.” 146 JULY 2021 S I T E S EL E C T I O N W IS CO N SI N S T A TE SPO TLIGHT WISCONSIN Top 5 Projects by Capital Investment COMPANY CITY CAPEX $M Kwik Trip, Inc. La Crosse 378 HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD. Pleasant Prairie 175 Promega Corporation Fitchburg 155 Nouryon Pulp & Performance Chem. LLC Howard 99 Amazon.com, Inc. Beloit 80 Source: Conway Projects Database Higher Ed. R&D Expenditure in $000s: 2,475,305 Number of NCRCs: 115,416 | Percent Improvement 2019–2020: 0.31% Business Tax Climate Rank Change 2020–2021: 0 Industrial power cost per kWh: $7.11 Total Revenue as Share of Total Expenses, FY 2004-2019: 104.7% 2020 Workers’ Comp Index Rate: 1.81 Source: Site Selection State of the States Report, January 2021 National Rankings The World’s Eyes Land on Wisconsin From Foxconn to the Ryder Cup, the Badger State is giving folks a reason to watch. An intense battle over the state budget and potential tax hikes on businesses dominated much of the headlines in the rst half of in Wisconsin, but that didn’t stop the Badger State from seeing a surge in both business and consumer spending during that period. “We are getting pretty close to back to normal in Wisconsin,” says Missy Hughes, secretary of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. “We are seeing tourism go through the roof. Our hotels and tourism business are starting to experience real capacity moments. We are one of the states leading the country in vaccination rates, and that is a big reason why we are back to pre-pandemic levels of unemployment.” e biggest breakthrough came May when two companies in Los Angeles and Taipei announced a joint venture to produce an all-new electric vehicle. And while the combined announcement from Fisker Inc. of California and Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn) in Taiwan did not speci cally mention Wisconsin, most observers concluded that it spelled good things for southeastern Wisconsin. A manufacturing campus being built by Foxconn in Mount Pleasant in Racine County originally was intended to produce next-generation TVs and other advanced electronics, but the sudden shift in strategy by Foxconn in mid-May signals that the world’s largest electronics contract manufacturer intends to make EVs at this complex miles north of Chicago. Fisker broke the news May when it announced it had signed framework agreements with Foxconn, Apple’s largest contract manufacturer of the iPhone, to support joint development and manufacturing related to Project PEAR (Personal Electric Automotive Revolution). Fisker said it will work with Foxconn to develop and produce a new by RON STARNER ron.starner@siteselection.com Mirror Lake State Park in the Wisconsin Dells region o ers many opportunities for outdoor recreation. Courtesy Wisconsin Dells Visitor and Convention BureauNext >