Lebanon, NJ - Between 2010 and 2030, New Jersey will spend as much as $888 billion on oil, coal, and other fossil fuels - 3.3 times the total earnings of all New Jersey workers in 2007. At the same time, pollution from fossil fuels is the number one source of air and global warming pollution and a leading source of water pollution, said Environment New Jersey in their new report released today at Sun Farm Network’s facility in Lebanon.
High spending on fossil fuels is largely driven by our dependence on oil, according to the analysis. New Jersey is on track to spend as much as $39.5 billion on oil alone in 2030, 80 percent of the state’s total spending on fossil fuels.
“This Independence Day, we are calling on Congress to break our dependence on dirty oil and coal,” said Doug O’Malley, field director for Environment New Jersey. “Instead of allowing the costs of fossil fuels to continue to mount, Congress should repower America with clean, renewable energy that will create jobs and stop global warming.”
Nationally, in 2006, U.S. consumers and businesses spent $921 billion on fossil fuels – more than was spent on education or the military. The country is on track to spend between $23 trillion and $30 trillion on fossil fuels between 2010 and 2030, the high end of which is more than double the nation’s total economic output in 2007. These figures do not include the damages to our environment and health resulting from the production and use of fossil fuels – such as global warming, air and water pollution, mountaintop mining, and oil spills.
“New Jersey has taken the lead on solar power, but we can’t let up now,” said Asm. Upendra Chivukula (D-17). “We need to expand the solar industry and get more green jobs by growing the pool of customers through state initiatives like the community solar bill (A3333). Our future is not fossil fuels; it’s clean energy.”
In contrast, moving to clean energy – wind turbines, solar panels, and energy-efficient homes and buildings – would save money, even excluding the additional benefits for the environment, health, and security. For instance, a recent report by the Union of Concerned Scientists found that transitioning to clean energy would cut costs in the Mid-Atlantic region by $11,20 per household annually and save consumers and business a total of $36 billion annually in 2030. In addition, clean energy creates jobs here at home, since clean energy projects tend to be labor intensive and cannot be outsourced.
“When the choice is between paying to uphold a dirty polluting status quo and investing in a new direction for America, clean energy is the clear winner,” said Pam Frank with the Sun Farm Network. “Businesses like ours which have been expanding in New Jersey and are building the new clean energy economy.”
On Friday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act (H.R. 2454), historic legislation that creates a framework for moving to a clean energy economy and curbing global warming. A bipartisan majority of the New Jersey delegation voted in favor of the bill, including Rep. Leonard Lance (R-Clinton); the bill passed by a narrow 219-212 margin on Friday night.
“Congressman Lance is a leader in economic growth through clean energy jobs. He is not only an environmental champion but someone who is working hard to grow our economy and make us energy independent,” said Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.
“Don’t be fossil fuelish,” said Tittel. “Renewable energy is a win-win for America: we can protect our environment and lower our energy costs compared to fossil fuels. You factor in environmental and health damage from coal and oil, and you realize clean energy is a even better investment.”
Rep. Lance was joined by a majority bipartisan coalition of New Jersey’s Congressional delegation that supported the legislation, including party colleagues Rep. Chris Smith and Rep. Frank LoBiondo.
“It is time for other states to follow New Jersey’s leadership and do their share to set limits on greenhouse gas emissions and accelerate development of low-carbon energy sources and green jobs,” said Rep. Lance in a statement following the vote.
Environment New Jersey’s report uses government data to quantify current and projected spending on fossil fuels nationally and by state. The High Cost of Fossil Fuels: Why America Can’t Afford to Depend on Dirty Energy, includes the following findings:
- New Jersey will spend as much as $1,878 more per person every year on fossil fuels in 2030, if we stay on our current energy path.
- In 2006, New Jersey spent $3,154 per capita on fossil fuels. In 2030, that figure is expected to rise up to $5,032 for every man, woman, and child in the state, as much as a 60 percent increase.
“The cost of doing nothing will be extraordinary. Now is the time to start transitioning to a clean energy economy to create real energy independence,” said O’Malley. “We urge the Senate to follow the lead of the New Jersey delegation and strengthen and pass clean energy legislation.”
