Energy & Global Warming Campaign
NJ Environmental Federation and Clean Water Action are working to curb global warming and promote clean energy. It is only by mobilizing people to push for change that we can transform our energy economy—and we can do it.
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The science is clear: we need to reduce the pollution that leads to global warming in order to avoid severe impacts of climate change. The future is also clear: it's a future with clean, renewable energy and we can get there. |
After months of intense debate, Congress passed a significant piece of energy legislation in December 2007 called the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 takes an important step forward by mandating significant increases in vehicle fuel economy standards for the first time in a generation. Improved fuel economy will lower consumer costs, reduce our dependence on oil and significantly reduce global warming pollution.
Unfortunately, the bill also demonstrates that special interests, including the fossil fuel industry and electrical utilities, still have powerful champions in Congress.
While the bill promotes new conservation and efficiency measures, Congress stripped out a requirement to move to 15% clean electricity by 2020. Extending tax incentives for wind, solar and other clean energy sources did not survive the negotiations, nor did removing tax breaks for the oil and natural gas industries.
Read more.Governor Corzine's Energy Plan Graded a "D": Falls short on clean energy, advocates more power plants in New Jersey
View a pdf file of Corzine's Energy Master Plan Report Card, April 2008.
Governor Corzine released a draft of his 15-year Energy Master Plan on Friday, April 28, 2008, and a broad coalition of environmentalists and clean energy advocates faulted the plan for lacking in vision and failing to realize New Jersey's full clean energy potential.
Nine months ago, Governor Corzine signed the historic Global Warming Response Act and committed the state to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 20% by 2020, and by at least 80% by 2050. The law is the toughest global warming law in the nation, and Corzine pledged to use his Energy Master Plan to detail strategies to meet the 2020 goals and set the state on track to meet the 2050 goals.
While the plan calls for renewable energy and greater energy efficiency, environmental leaders said the governor's goals fall far short of the state's potential. In addition, they said, the plan fails to detail the specific steps the state will take to achieve its goals.
The groups put out an alternate vision, calling upon the governor to increase his wind, solar, and efficiency goals, and to support emerging clean energy technologies.
With the right plan from the Governor, they argue, the state could:
- Promote highly efficient homes, buildings, and appliances and cut energy demand 10% below today's levels. The Governor's goal will stabilize demand at current levels.
- Generate 1750 megawatts of clean electricity by harnessing New Jersey's offshore winds - enough to power at least 450,000 New Jersey homes per year. Their plan would generate 75% more wind energy than the Governor's proposal.
- Bring solar panels to tens of thousands of rooftops within the decade.
- Eliminate the need to expand fossil fuel or nuclear power plants.
The coalition also criticized the plan for failing to assess the state's current fleet of power plants. The plan does not determine which current power plants the state should plan to keep online, which it should clean up, or which it should aim to phase out. It skips such an assessment, assumes none of the current capacity can be counted on in the future, and concludes that new power plants and additional transmission lines are needed.
"New Jersey is at a historic crossroads," said Dave Pringle of the NJ Environmental Federation. "Governor Corzine is missing the opportunity to truly go green, drive the 21st century economy, and rid ourselves of the 19th and 20th century technologies that saddle the state with so many environmental, public health and security problems. The question is not coal versus nuclear to keep the lights on, but rather those antiquated, dangerous technologies versus cutting edge clean renewable and efficient solutions."
The Governor's plan comes at a time when New Jerseyans are saddled with a host of energy-related issues. The cost of traditional fuels has risen sharply in recent years, with no end in sight. Consumers are paying record prices to fuel up their cars and to heat their homes. The cost of electricity has risen significantly as the cost of coal, gas, and uranium makes power plants increasingly expensive to operate. And global concerns of foreign imports, global security, and global warming, have left the public clamoring for energy alternatives.
The Energy Master Plan is currently in draft form and open for public comment.
Citizens can comment on the Energy Master Plan by calling the Governor's office at
609-292-6000.
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New Jersey Takes National Lead in Response to Global Warming
Meadowlands, NJ--On Friday, June 6, 2007, NJ Governor Jon Corzine signed The Global Warming Response Act, into law. It requires the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to develop a strategy to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide--widely referred to as greenhouse gases--in NJ by 20 percent by the year 2020 and 80 percent by 2050.This law makes New Jersey the first state in the nation to mandate a 2050 limit on global warming pollution.
NJ Environmental Federation's Campaign Director was featured as a speaker at this event.
"I would like to thank our canvassers and coalition partners for making this happen," said David Pringle, Campaign Director, NJEF. "I would also like to thank Governor Corzine, Governor Codey, Speaker Roberts, Senators Buono, Smith and Kean, Assemblywoman Stender and Assemblyman McKeon, and their staff for their leadership. A special thanks to Vice President Gore. His leadership has been essential and his presence at the signing of the bill demonstrates how important this law is".
NJEF canvassers, program staff and their children with Governor Corzine at the signing of the Global Warming Response Act.
Now that the bill is signed into law, the state Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) will implement its provisions. The first order of business is to work with other state agencies to develop a pollution monitoring and reporting plan by 2009. Officials then have until June 2008 to come up with a plan to achieve the 2020 limit. And the deadline for a plan to hit the 2050 target is due by June 2010.
Some of the law's other measures include:- A requirement that 20 percent of the state's energy come from renewable energy sources by the year 2020.
- Participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which establishes a regional cap and trade program for power producers, requiring them to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions 10 percent below 2009 levels by 2019.
- A Clean Cars Program, which mandates that an increasing number of cars sold in the state be low emissions and zero emission vehicles.
- Energy efficiency programs designed to make homes and businesses use less energy.
- A requirement that out of state power producers doing business in or through New Jersey meet the same standards as in-state producers.
Al Gore speaks at the signing of the Global Warming Response Act.
Governor Corzine after the signing of the bill.
New Jersey government charts demonstrating the problems and goals of the Global Warming Response Act.
