Gov. Phil Murphy has signed a package of bills in order to facilitate New Jersey’s transition to a clean energy future. The movement is a significant step towards the Administration’s goal of reaching 100 percent clean energy by 2050.
According to the official site of the State of New Jersey, the legislation aims to increase solar development and facilitate installation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure throughout the state.
“From wind-turbine component manufacturing, to solar energy installation, to electric vehicles, the modernization of our energy sector will not only aid us in addressing climate change, but also drive significant economic growth and create good-paying, union jobs across the state,” said Murphy.
The Democratic governor noted the important scope of this long-term project. “By signing these bills today, we are marking another milestone on our path to 100 percent clean energy by 2050 and fueling our clean innovation economy.”
Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver, who serves as Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, underlined the significant role of electric vehicle adoption in this environmental initiative.
An electric future
“In order to combat climate change and its devastating consequences, we must do all we can to make it easier for people and families to use and charge electric vehicles whether they live in a single-family home or in a multi-family dwelling. Electric vehicles are the future and everyone should have access to the environmental and economic benefits they provide.”
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“I am proud to stand with Governor Murphy today as he signs legislation that will make it easier for New Jersey’s municipalities to create electric vehicle charging infrastructure in their communities and further advance the state’s clean energy goals,” said New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette.
The clean energy bills
- S3223: Establishes numerical requirements and zoning standards for installation of electric vehicle supply equipment and Make-Ready parking spaces.
- A1653: Encourages development of zero-emission vehicle fueling and charging infrastructure in redevelopment projects.
- A4554: Establishes successor program to solar renewable energy certificate program in BPU, including solicitation process for certain solar power generation facilities.
- A5434: Establishes dual-use solar project pilot program for unpreserved farmland; allows land used for dual-use solar project to be eligible for farmland assessment under certain conditions.
“In the not-so-distant future, we’ll see the day when most cars on the road are electric. By 2040, over half of all passenger vehicles sold are projected to be electric,” said Assemblymembers Lisa Swain, Daniel Benson, Yvonne Lopez, Anthony Verrelli, Robert Karabinchak, and Andrew Zwicker in a joint statement.
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Scientific warning
The package of signed bills aimed at establishing clean energy occurs during a heat wave which has brought concerns for environmentalists. Some scientists warn that areas of the world will become uninhabitable if current trends continue.
According to a BBC report, Canada records its highest temperature in its history at a time when the west of the country and the northwestern United States are subjected to an unprecedented heat wave that has already left dozens of people dead.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden says CO2 emissions will be reduced in half this decade compared to 2005 levels.
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