New Jersey is forging ahead with ambitious clean energy rules that take after California, prompting critics to warn that a hasty transition away from fossil fuels is unachievable and the effort comes with a steep price tag.
In some cases, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is taking action that would outpace green policies in California, a state known for spearheading leftwing laws that other blue states emulate.
Mr. Murphy, a Democrat, earlier this year was stripped of his title as “America’s Greenest Governor” by the League of Conservation Voters, which praised his environmental record but cited competition from other states when downgrading him. Since then, he has enacted a wave of executive actions to accelerate the Garden State’s transition away from gasoline-powered cars and fossil fuel power plants.
The latest in a string of clean energy provisions, Mr. Murphy unveiled a rule this month to mirror one in California to phase out the sales of new gasoline-powered cars by 2035 in favor of electric vehicles. Once implemented, New Jersey’s EV market share of new vehicles sold would have to jump from its current 9% to 35% by 2027 and increase steadily until reaching 100% in 2035.
“We build upon our nation-leading record of bold climate action while delivering on our promise to utilize every tool at our disposal to combat the intensifying climate crisis,” Mr. Murphy said.
The red-hot national debate over gas stoves is also raging in New Jersey, where Mr. Murphy wants to electrify cooktops and transition away from natural gas.
Earlier this year, Mr. Murphy moved up the state’s goal of reaching 100% clean electricity by 2050 by 15 years to 2035. The endeavor — if successful — would overtake California’s goal of achieving 100% green energy by 2045.
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities this week approved a voluntary incentives program to switch from natural gas to electric, a move that prompted bipartisan concern from state lawmakers that it’s a precursor for a natural gas ban for new buildings like in New York and cities across California.
“The Murphy administration doesn’t seem to care that people don’t want to replace their gas stoves or undertake expensive conversions to electric furnaces and water heaters,” said state Senate Republican Reader Anthony Bucco. “It’s disturbing that Governor Murphy is trying to circumvent the Legislature by having the BPU rubber-stamp his plan to transform how millions of New Jersey homes are powered.”
In a bid to ditch fossil fuels and go green, Mr. Murphy also signed an executive order this year to install zero-carbon-emission heating and cooling systems in 400,000 homes and 20,000 commercial properties, and to make 10% of all low-to-moderate income properties electrification-ready by 2030.
Rep. Frank Pallone of New Jersey, the top Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee, praised the governor’s actions on climate change, including the EV mandate.
During a recent hearing on Capitol Hill, he lauded New Jersey for taking steps “to voluntarily adopt those standards to protect people from dangerous air pollution.”
A dozen Democrat-run states have also adopted California’s EV regulation, including New York, Maryland, Massachusetts, Vermont, Oregon and Washington.
New Jersey is currently reworking what’s known as its Energy Master Plan, which manages how electricity is supplied amid questions about the cost of moving away from fossil fuels. It’s not expected to be completed until next year.
New Jersey Republicans and industry groups fear the state’s residents will be left footing a hefty energy transition bill. Mr. Murphy has vowed for more transparency about economic costs and impacts on ratepayers.
A study approved by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities last year concluded that the average cost of household utilities by 2030 could decline as much as 16% but only if green alternatives like electric vehicles and home appliances are used. Otherwise, costs were projected to increase.
The analysis failed to factor in the large upfront costs of going electric both in the home and on the road. It also was based on the previous goal of transitioning to 100% clean electricity by 2050 — not 2035.
A study published earlier this year by Affordable Energy for New Jersey, a group tied to the utility industry, predicted that achieving 100% clean electricity by 2050 would cost $1.4 trillion.
Source:Washington Times
