Climate change is real, but Murphy moving too fast, Ciattarelli says
By Tom Johnson NJ Spotlight
Jack Ciattarelli is no climate denier. The Republican candidate for governor believes climate change and global warming are real, humans are accelerating the problem and carbon emissions must be reduced.
But he says Gov. Phil Murphy’s ambitious plan to transition to 100% clean energy by mid-century is “too much, too soon and too fast.’’ Ciattarelli, a former assemblyman, said the plan is not realistic and it does not tell the people in New Jersey what they will have to spend to achieve it.
Ciattarelli also has faulted Murphy’s Board of Public Utilities for failing to produce a comprehensive analysis of what his energy plan will cost each and every household in New Jersey, particularly to phase out the use of natural gas to heat homes.
Candidate’s vision for clean energy
“As governor, I will implement a balanced, rational energy policy that includes natural gas and renewable energy to create jobs, keep energy prices down and provide safe, reliable and cleaner power sources,’’ Ciattarelli vowed on his gubernatorial website.
Ciattarelli’s plan would aim to minimize carbon emissions through incentives until emerging energy sources are found safe, reliable and cost-effective. These sources include micro nuclear, geothermal, hydropower, carbon capture and hydrogen batteries.
“Within the next two or three years, we will see an entirely different energy marketplace,’’ Ciattarelli told NJ Spotlight News, referring to those emerging technologies. He does not view natural gas as a long-term solution, but says it is needed now as the state waits for those alternative energy sources to become commercially viable.
Ciattarelli wants to see a national energy policy develop — one that puts New Jersey on an equal footing with other states. “He (Murphy) is trying to solve global warming one state at a time,’’ he said.
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