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Global Warming and Clean Energy Agenda: Fall 2008

Faced with soaring energy prices and the numerous threats posed by global warming, New Jersey’s leaders are faced with a number of pressing energy decisions. Just over a year ago, the New Jersey legislature passed, and Governor Corzine signed the historic Global Warming Response Act into law. The law requires that the state reduce global warming pollution roughly 20% by 2020 and at least 80% by 2050. The decisions New Jersey leaders make this fall will determine whether we meet these critical mandates. To take concrete action toward meeting the requirements of the Global Warming Response Act, and to position New Jersey as the nation’s leader in supporting a new, clean energy future, Environment New Jersey supports the following clean energy agenda for Gov. Corzine and the New Jersey State Legislature.

Energy Efficiency

  • Support Energy Efficient Buildings.  The legislature should vote to allow the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) to enhance the state’s existing building codes by passing S702/A1629.  Gov. Corzine and the DCA should require that all new residential construction be 30% more energy efficient than current building standards require.
  • Support Energy Efficient Appliances.  The legislature should vote in favor of enhanced appliance efficiency standards and pass A1763 / S1253. This would save ratepayers money by reducing as much energy statewide as the amount used by 45,000 households, and reducing as much global warming pollution as removing 80,000 cars from the road by 2020..  Gov. Corzine and the BPU should commit to an annual review of appliance standards, and should propose updated appliance standards to the legislature on a yearly basis. The legislature should commit to adopting new appliance standards every year as effieient products become more available and ripe for standards.

Transportation

  • Support a Clean Car Discount.  The legislature should vote to establish a state revenue-neutral program that would stagger Motor Vehicle registration fee levels based on the fuel efficiency of the vehicle being registered,, offering the most fuel efficiency vehicles the lowest fee and the least, the highest.   A study conducted by officials from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the US Department of Energy, the Argonne National Laboratory, and the National Transportation Research Center at The University of Tennessee indicates that such a “feebate” is one of the most promising strategies to lower total vehicle fleet emissions.
  • Reduce Automobile Commutes.  The legislature should pass S699 (Smith) to require employers to provide transportation alternatives to their employees in an effort to reduce the number of vehicle miles traveled on NJ highways. According to research detailed in Environment New Jersey’s “A Blueprint for Action,” such a program could cut global warming pollution by 2.87 million metric tons by 2020.
  • Promote Clean Cars.  The legislature should vote to expand the sales tax exemption currently in place for consumers who purchase zero emission cars to include plug-in hybrids as well. Sales tax exemptions for vehicles that are not new, alternative technology (ex. regular hybrids which are plentiful now and not a newly marketed technology) are an over-generously and not necessary to drive the sale of these vehicles. Under our plan, cleaner but not new, alternative technology vehicles would be adequately promoted through a staggered Motor Vehicle registration fee as outlined above.  
  • Expand Public Transportation.  The legislature and Gov. Corzine should ensure that any new transportation revenue be spent primarily on fixing existing infrastructure and to expand access to public transportation. State leaders should limit spending on road and highway expansion to no more than 4% per year, as this would undermine the state’s greenhouse gas reduction goals.
  • Account For Global Warming Pollution in Highway Expansions. Transportation is the most significant source of global warming pollution in New Jersey. Gov. Corzine and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) should require that any highway expansion proposals include a full analysis of the resulting, long-term, and increased global warming footprint attributed to any such expansion and reject any that would undermine New Jersey’s efforts to make cuts in global warming pollution as mandated by the Global Warming Response Act.

Renewable Energy

  • Renewable Energy Standard.  Gov. Corzine and the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) should require that 40% of the state’s electricity needs be generated by renewable energy sources by 2025.  Gov. Corzine and the BPU should ensure that only truly clean, renewable energy sources qualify for state support as a Class 1 renewable resource.  For example, burning trash does not qualify as renewable energy.
  • Wind.  Gov. Corzine and the BPU should adopt a goal of generating 3,000 MW of electricity with offshore wind by 2020, and should grow NJ’s economy and reputation as a clean energy leader by approving construction of the nation’s first offshore wind project.
  • Solar.  The legislature should require developers to offer solar power to new home buyers.  Such legislation would promote solar energy, encourage developers to build solar-friendly homes, and give more homebuyers access to solar. Developers of 20 or more individual units should be required to offer and promote solar energy to every prospective new home buyer.
  • Community Renewables. Gov. Corzine and the BPU should support community-based renewable energy projects such as solar arrays (a collection of panels on parking lots, fields and along streets and other public places) and small wind installations. The BPU should adopt rules to permit and encourage communities to build community-scale renewable energy arrays.

Cleaner Fuels

  • Low Carbon Fuel Standard.  Gov. Corzine and the DEP should adopt a low carbon fuel standard that ensures that fuels consumed in NJ meet increasingly stringent global warming pollution standards.  While bio-fuels may be part of the solution to global warming, some, including corn ethanol produce more global warming pollution than they have the capacity to reduce. A clean fuel standard would ensure New Jersey’s fuel choices over time become less carbon intensive. 
  • No New Coal-Fired Power Plants. Gov. Corzine and the DEP should call for a moratorium on any new construction of coal-fired power plants.  Coal is the primary source of global warming pollution from the electric generating sector, and new construction will undermine the state’s global warming mandates. 
  • No New Nuclear Power Plants.  Nuclear power plants are dangerous and expensive. Research conducted by the Rocky Mountain Institute shows that new nuclear power plant construction is the most expensive, most risky, and slowest way to solve the energy crisis.  Gov. Corzine should commit to a moratorium on new nuclear plant construction in NJ.
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