New York Construction Report staff writer
New Jersey is 15 years ahead of schedule when it comes to reaching a “100 per cent clean energy future,” Gov. Phil Murphy announced this week.
As a result, the goal has been moved from 2050 to 2035.
“We’ve turned our vision for a greener tomorrow into a roadmap to guide us along the way,” Murphy said, after signing three executive orders to accelerate the plan.
Speaking at Rutgers University, the governor announced six pillars in the new strategy: accelerating the adoption of clean energy, electrifying the building sector, planning for the future of natural gas utilities, promoting heavy-duty electric vehicle adoption, enhancing flood protection, and adopting Advanced Clean Cars II.
All new cars and light-duty truck sales must be zero-emission vehicles by 2035 and the state will offer funding for heavy-duty electric vehicles.
The plan also calls for zero-carbon-emission space heating and cooling systems to be installed in 400,000 homes and 20,000 commercial buildings, and for all electricity sold in the state to come from clean sources by 2035.
Accelerating the deadline makes New Jersey the second state in the country, along with the District of Columbia, to have a 100 per cent clean energy goal in the 2030s.
“These bold targets and carefully crafted initiatives signal our unequivocal commitment to swift and concrete climate action today,” Murphy said. “We’ve turned our vision for a greener tomorrow into a responsible and actionable roadmap to guide us, and it’s through that pragmatic, evidence-based approach that we will ultimately arrive at our destination.”
