| October 22, 2008 |  |
New Jersey Energy Master Plan Gets High Marks from the Union of Concerned Scientists
Statement by Ned Raynolds, Union of Concerned Scientists
WASHINGTON (October 22, 2008) – New Jersey Gov. John Corzine today released the state's Energy Master Plan, a blueprint for the Garden State's clean energy future. The plan spells out how the state will meet its energy needs, spur the development of clean energy businesses, and control energy costs. The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) gave the initiative high marks -- with a few caveats.
Below is a statement by Ned Raynolds, UCS's Northeast climate policy coordinator:
"New Jersey is one of the states leading the nation in addressing global warming. Its Legislature became the third in the country to pass a law requiring global-warming-emissions reductions on the scale and within the timeline that the science says is necessary. This plan will put the state on the path to achieving those goals. It establishes aggressive targets for energy efficiency improvements and cogeneration, calls for strong building codes as well as appliance and equipment efficiency standards, pledges greater investment in clean-energy-technology research and development, and promotes offshore wind energy and solar energy installation over fossil fuel and nuclear power plants.
"A major policy change under the plan puts responsibility for the state's energy efficiency programs in the hands of utilities in New Jersey, rather than the Board of Public Utilities. The utilities now must deliver on their claim that they can run the programs more effectively than the board.
"I also urge the state to proceed cautiously when implementing a provision that calls for developing 900 megawatts of power from bioenergy resources. Most of what the state plans to use for biomass is municipal waste and the jury is still out on the environmental impacts of a particular technology used in that process.
"Overall, the plan is excellent. We commend the state for its leadership in addressing global warming. The Northeast Climate Impacts Assessment, a two-year collaboration between UCS and a team of more than 50 scientists and economists, released a study last year that found that near-term choices about energy, transportation and land-use will largely determine the extent and severity of climate change in New Jersey. By crafting such a detailed and well thought-out plan, New Jersey can help protect its future and serve as a model for other states and the nation as a whole."
(For the Northeast Climate Impacts Assessment, go to: climatechoices.org/ne.)
The Union of Concerned Scientists puts rigorous, independent science to work to solve our planet's most pressing problems. Joining with citizens across the country, we combine technical analysis and effective advocacy to create innovative, practical solutions for a healthy, safe, and sustainable future.
