To achieve this goal, the executive order outlines several measures, including the development of a strategic plan for the state’s transition to clean energy, the establishment of an Office of Climate Action and the Green Economy, and the creation of a task force to identify barriers and opportunities for the deployment of renewable energy.
“These bold targets and carefully crafted initiatives signal our unequivocal Special Data commitment to swift and concrete climate action today,” said Governor Murphy. “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. Combined with our federal partnerships reinforced through the Inflation Reduction Act, these comprehensive initiatives will better protect and prepare every New Jersey community, including those on the front lines of climate change who have previously been left out and left behind.”
Governor Murphy’s announcement has been met with enthusiasm from clean energy advocates and environmental groups, who see this as a crucial step towards a more sustainable future. According to a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), global carbon emissions must be reduced by at least 50% by 2030 to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
“Governor Murphy’s new goal of 100 percent clean energy by 2035 is an incredibly important and sensible policy initiative that solidifies New Jersey as a leader at the forefront of the battle to address the climate crisis as one of only two states plus the District of Columbia with a 100 percent clean energy goal in the 2030s,” said BPU President Joseph L. Fiordaliso. “We will continue to thoughtfully and prudently work to achieve the Governor’s vision for a cleaner and healthier New Jersey with a robust and equitable clean energy economy comprised of good, union, family-sustaining and community-building jobs.”
New Jersey’s Transition to Clean Energy
New Jersey has already made significant strides in its transition to clean energy. In 2018, the state passed a landmark clean energy bill that established a goal of 50% renewable energy by 2030. Since then, the state has increased its solar capacity and expanded its offshore wind industry, with several large-scale projects in development.