Returning to Trenton from a prolonged vacation that began before July 4 and extended through the November 4 election, state lawmakers have already introduced a truckload of new environmental legislation–much of it addressing the hot areas of energy conservation and alternative energy production.
Although few of the bills have a chance to be enacted during the remaining weeks of the current lame duck session, they’ll all be ready for consideration when the Senate and Assembly reconvene for a new two-year session in early January.
Here are just a few of the more than 50 new green bills introduced since November 23:
A-4179 Milam, M.W. (D-1); Albano, N.T. (D-1) Allows construction of wind dependent energy facilities within 500 feet of mean high water line of tidal waters under certain circumstances.
[Translation: on boardwalk piers]
A-4181 Coyle, D.M. (R-16) Requires energy monitoring systems to be installed in new commercial buildings; allows credit against corporation business tax and gross income tax for costs of purchasing and installing energy monitoring systems.
A-4182 Coyle, D.M. (R-16) Permits developer to qualify for low interest loan from NJEDA when building new green housing.
A-4184 Coyle, D.M. (R-16) Authorizes county colleges and county vocational school districts to establish green job certification programs.
A-4185 Coyle, D.M. (R-16) Creates a green building competition.
A-4186 Coyle, D.M. (R-16) Provides gross income tax exclusion for income earned by completing qualified energy efficient and renewable energy job training.
A-4193 Burzichelli, J.J. (D-3) Establishes standards for fertilizer application to turfgrass systems.
A-4195 Coyle, D.M. (R-16) Establishes six-month paid green internship program in Department of Community Affairs.
A-4235 Vainieri Huttle, V. (D-37) Allows independent institutions of higher education to be eligible for NJ alternative fuel vehicle rebate and alternative fuel infrastructure programs.
A-4238 Wagner, C. (D-38) “Plastic Carryout Bag Reduction Act.”
S-3004 Sarlo, P.A. (D-36) Changes the scope of public notification regarding contaminated site remediation.
S-3013 Singer, R.W. (R-30) Requires State entities to purchase biofuels in place of fossil fuels when it is reasonable, prudent and cost effective to do so.
S-3022 Smith, B. (D-17) Requires EDA to establish a “High Performance Green Building Demonstration Project.”
S-3039 Smith, B. (D-17) Requires eligible applicants for innocent party grants from “Hazardous Discharge Site Remediation Fund” to own subject property through application process.
S-3041 Smith, B. (D-17) Imposes certain conditions on NJPDES permit for energy generation facilities that withdraw water from, or discharge water to, a shallow lagoonal estuary
S-3105 Van Drew, J. (D-1) Requires BPU to provide same financial incentives for purchase and installation of wind technologies as for solar technologies.
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