Clean Energy In the News

A statewide environmental group will spend the summer trying to pressure Governor Corzine to do a better job of combating global warming.

By harnessing offshore winds, beefing up solar power and building greener homes, the state could improve New Jersey's Energy Master Plan, said Marie Wisecup, campaign coordinator for Environment New Jersey.

"If Governor Corzine wants to help solve global warming, his energy plan needs to go big on wind, solar and energy conservation," Wisecup said. The group says the governor's 15-year energy plan lacks vision.

New Jersey has taken the first step in reducing pollution by passing a law that mandates a reduction in global-warming emissions by 20 percent by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050, Wisecup said. The next step, she said, is to quickly adopt clean-energy technologies to meet the steep cuts mandated by law.

A spokesman for the governor, Jim Gardner, defended the energy plan, calling Corzine "one of the most progressive governors in the nation'' in tackling greenhouse gas emissions.

"The governor has taken serious steps to preserve the planet for our children and grandchildren,'' Gardner said. "Rhetoric and condemnation won't move us forward.''

Environment New Jersey's campaign will be based in Ridgewood, New Brunswick, Montclair and Toms River. Staff members will visit more than 250 New Jersey towns to talk to 100,000 residents about the need to strengthen the master plan. The Ridgewood office alone will talk to 25,000 residents in 47 New Jersey towns. The hope is that these residents will pressure the governor to change the master plan.

"Governor Corzine needs to hear that the public expects more leadership from him," Wisecup said. "His draft plan does not do enough to promote global-warming solutions like wind, solar and energy conservation, but that can change with enough citizen input."

The group is asking residents to call on the governor to:

* Generate at least 1,750 megawatts of clean electricity by harnessing New Jersey's offshore winds — enough to power at least 450,000 New Jersey homes each year. This would generate 75 percent more wind energy than the governor's draft plan.

* Bring solar panels to tens of thousands of rooftops within the next decade. The governor's draft plan sets more modest goals for solar energy, stating that 2 percent of New Jersey's energy needs would be met with solar by 2020

* Promote energy-efficient homes, other buildings and appliances — cutting energy demand 10 percent below today's levels. The governor's current goal is to stabilize demand at current levels.

* Eliminate the need to expand fossil fuel or nuclear power plants. The governor's plan calls for more traditional power plants of all kinds, especially nuclear.

* Make deep cuts to global-warming pollution from existing power plants by cleaning up or phasing out the dirtiest.