New Jersey Senate panel signs off on 80% renewables by 2050

Source: By Matt Friedman, Newark Star-Ledger • Posted: Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Lawmakers on a New Jersey Senate committee have advanced legislation to create one of the nation’s most ambitious clean energy plans.

On a 4-1 vote yesterday, lawmakers approved a bill to require New Jersey to receive at least 80 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2050.

“This is probably the most important bill we have to help us deal with the impacts of climate change and moving our state forward when it comes to renewable energy,” Sierra Club New Jersey Director Jeff Tittel said.

The committee changed language in the bill removing restrictions on how much of the renewable energy must be generated from wind and solar power. In addition, the lawmakers struck language requiring that all of the energy be generated within New Jersey, which many viewed as impossible because the state is so small and because it could violate constitutional requirements that the state not impede interstate commerce.

Lawmakers expect Gov. Chris Christie (R) to veto the bill if it reaches him (Matt Friedman, Newark Star-Ledger, May 4)

Lawmakers on a New Jersey Senate committee have advanced legislation to create one of the nation’s most ambitious clean energy plans.On a 4-1 vote yesterday, lawmakers approved a bill to require New Jersey to receive at least 80 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2050.”This is probably the most important bill we have to help us deal with the impacts of climate change and moving our state forward when it comes to renewable energy,” Sierra Club New Jersey Director Jeff Tittel said.The committee changed language in the bill removing restrictions on how much of the renewable energy must be generated from wind and solar power. In addition, the lawmakers struck language requiring that all of the energy be generated within New Jersey, which many viewed as impossible because the state is so small and because it could violate constitutional requirements that the state not impede interstate commerce.

Lawmakers expect Gov. Chris Christie (R) to veto the bill if it reaches him.