Environmentalists are worried that the governor's plan will jeopardize the growing strength of New Jersey's green economy
Clik here to view.
Gov. Chris Christie during a town hall meeting at the Toms River National Guard Armory. TRENTON — Environmentalists this afternoon set the table for hearings on Gov. Chris Christie's road map for New Jersey's energy future by reiterating that the plan will jeopardize the growing strength of the state's green economy.
Christie last month unveiled his draft Energy Master Plan, which scaled back the state's goal to bolster renewable sources like solar energy and put a greater emphasis on new natural gas and nuclear power. The governor called the plan "realistic and achievable."
Green advocates, however, fear the plan will undercut the growing market for solar energy and the jobs the industry has created. New Jersey ranked eighth among the 50 states for green jobs in 2010, according to a recent report by the Brookings Institute.
Dennis Wilson, spokesman for the MidAtlantic Solar Energy Industries Association, said at a Statehouse news conference that the solar industry grows close to 50 percent each year and will soon be large enough to replace old, polluting power plants.
Matt Elliott, clean energy advocate for Environment New Jersey, said given the environmental and public health challenges of the future, Christie should be more of a leader.
"Unfortunately, with this plan, he is not," Elliott said.
Kevin Roberts, a spokesman for Christie, said the governor has aggressively supported the development of alternative energy, specifically from wind and solar sources. Under Christie's plan, 22.5 percent of the state's electricity will be produced from the sun and the wind and other renewable energy sources by 2020, as against a program drafted under former Gov. Jon Corzine, who set a goal of 30 percent.
Roberts said that 30 percent goal was never formally adopted under Corzine "because it was unachievable."
Although Christie's energy plan does not mandate any changes, it provides a road map for state departments and the Board of Public Utilities. Many of its priorities, however, will require the cooperation of the Democrat-controlled Legislature.
In terms of solar, industry insiders disagree on the plan's significance. Some describe the draft as a bad sign for the solar market, but others say scaled-back emphasis on the solar industry will not halt the market's growth.
The first of three public hearings on the plan will be held at 1 p.m. July 26 at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark.
Related coverage:
• Companies warn Christie against power subsidies
• Christie promotes energy goals
• Christie signals supports for building N.J. nuclear power plant
• N.J. solar energy boom's frantic pace could slow
