The latest delay highlights the bumpy road the administration faces trying to reach its clean-energy future
By TOM JOHNSON, ENERGY/ENVIRONMENT WRITER, NJ Spotlight
Gov. Phil Murphy on Friday unexpectedly shelved public hearings slated to begin this week on the state’s Energy Master Plan, adding to the uncertainty about his ambitious clean-energy agenda as it moves forward.
In a press release issued by his office, the governor announced stakeholder meetings that were to begin Thursday would be put off until later this year. The aim was to update the plan, which lays out a detailed blueprint for reaching Murphy’s target of a 100% clean energy economy by 2050.
The plan, broadly supported by the environmental community and clean-energy advocates, is facing its most sustained questions yet, with a particular focus on proposals to develop a robust offshore wind industry along the New Jersey coast and electrify buildings by phasing out the use of natural gas.
Avoiding potential political fallout
With all 120 legislative seats up for election this November, the delay of any updates to the plan could avert tough election-year decisions for the administration that have the potential to further increase energy bills for consumers, who already have been hit with higher heating costs this winter.
“After five years of bold climate action in New Jersey, we must not only assess our progress to date, but renew our commitment to a clean-energy economy while taking stock of the breadth of resources at our disposal,’’ Murphy said.
The current master plan, adopted in 2019, set a strategic decision to overhaul New Jersey’s energy system and its associated greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants while building a new green economy and creating jobs.
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