What's New
This spring, we told you that the Corzine administration had released a draft fifteen-year energy master plan. The draft fell short of the state's full clean energy potential, and considered building new power plants in New Jersey.
Environment New Jersey and a coalition of environmental and clean energy advocates called on Gov. Corzine to revise his plan with stronger goals clean energy and energy efficiency, and to eliminate proposals for new power plants.
At the end of October, Gov. Corzine
released a revised and final version. In it, he set
some of the strongest clean energy goals in the nation, and Environment
New Jersey praised the plan as a solid road map to guide the state on a
path to a clean energy future.
The energy master plan adopted a number of goals endorsed by
Environment New Jersey and our coalition partners, including enough wind and solar power for over
1.3 million NJ households by 2020 alone.
The plan is not perfect, and still leaves the door open to new fossil fuel development, including liquified natural gas.
But it represents a significant step in the right direction on a number of key clean energy and energy efficiency priorities that will clean our air, create new jobs in New Jersey, and help fight global warming.
Statement of Executive Director Dena Mottola Jaborska
How You Can Help
Thank Gov. Corzine for setting strong clean energy goals for New Jersey.
Thank Gov. Corzine
Background
From the Clean Cars Act to the Clean Energy Standard, New
Jersey’s decision-makers have taken a stand against powerful special interests,
big energy companies and the Bush Administration. In many ways, our state has set the standard
for changing the way we use and generate energy across the country.
Governor Corzine's energy master plan comes at a critical time as our state and our nation make decisions that will shape our energy future for decades to come.
Putting profits over public health and the environment, energy
companies have lobbied to turn back the clock.
They want to build more power plants, continue the long-term operation
of existing plants like Oyster Creek, the oldest operating nuclear power plant
in the country, and expand our reliance on dirty power from out-of-state.
New Jerseyans know we have alternatives. We
have already had major growth in solar and wind energy generation in our
state. New Jersey’s first coastal wind
farm in Atlantic City is up and running, and with nearly 2,000 solar installations,
we are one of the fastest growing solar energy markets in the nation.
With Gov. Corzine's final energy master plan now on the street, we have a strong road map to a new energy future. If state leaders follow the plan, we will make huge cuts
to our energy use in homes and
businesses and we will dramatically increase generation of clean, renewable
energy by building hundreds of wind turbines and putting solar panels on thousands of rooftops. We'll invest money to research the best new renewable technologies and position New Jersey as a 'green jobs' leader.
Moving forward, we will need continued leadership from Gov. Corzine to put the plan in action, and we'll our state legislators to enact the policies that are called for in the plan.
