Proponents of clean energy have gotten a dirty deal under the administration of Gov. Chris Christie.
Environmentalists aren't exactly doing cartwheels over a bill that passed an Assembly panel last week, but they're grateful that New Jersey's lawmakers are moving - slowly, slowly - to decrease the state's dependence on fossil fuels.
"We need a short-term fix for solar," said Doug O'Malley, director of Environment New Jersey. "That's what this clearly is, but we need a long-term fix in renewable energy."
O'Malley was expressing his guarded optimism to NJSpotlight regarding a bill that designed to accelerate the use of solar energy within the next few years, capitalizing on new federal incentives promoting the technology.
The bipartisan measure, which got the nod from the Assembly Telecommunication and Utilities Committee, would create a 25-member solar energy study commission to explore all aspects of the state's solar energy generation industry.
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Proponents of clean energy have gotten a dirty deal under the administration of Gov. Chris Christie.
After running as a champion for the cause during his first gubernatorial race - "I will be New Jersey's No. 1 clean-energy proponent," he vowed in a campaign ad - Christie stunned many people by pulling out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
The carbon cap-and-trade agreement among 10 northeast states has proven economically and environmentally beneficial to its remaining partners, US News reported: Between 2005 and 2012, the members saw 7 percent economic growth and a 40 percent reduction in carbon pollution from power plants.
Christie repeatedly has ignored or opposed proposals dealing with clean energy over the years. Activists listening to his keynote speech to the Republican National Convention last summer heard not one a syllable about the issue during his 15-minute speech.
So when the measure co-sponsored by Bob Smith (D-Piscataway), Christopher Bateman (R-Somerville) and Linda Greenstein (D-Cranbury) passed the Assembly committee by a 6-2 vote, it offered proponents hope after a long trek through the wilderness.
As envisioned, the study panel would include among others the president of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, the commissioner of environmental protection and the director of the Division of Rate Control; two members each from the Senate and the Assembly; and public members appointed by the governor.
Ideally, voices on the panel would represent a broad swath of interests, including environmentalists, rate payers, academic and business communities, solar energy developers and others.
It's way past time for a penetrating, balanced look at where the Garden State is headed along the energy road, and how it's going to get there.
The bill, like others, will likely end up on Christie's chopping block. But January 2018 will see a new face behind the governor's desk. Let's hope he or she has New Jersey's best interests at heart, rather than a national political agenda to pursue.
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