Gov. Murphy announces comprehensive set of initiatives to combat climate change and power the “Next New Jersey”

NEW JERSEY – In an address Wednesday at Rutgers University, Governor Phil Murphy announced a series of new and accelerated targets and commitments to build upon the Administration’s nation-leading climate action record.

The Administration will bolster its robust climate adaptation and mitigation efforts through an accelerated target of 100% clean energy by 2035, ambitious goal-setting for electrification of the state’s building sector, and collaborative planning for the future of the State’s natural gas utilities, through three Executive Orders signed by the Governor this morning.

Additionally, the State will offer new grant funding for heavy-duty electric vehicles (EVs), initiate the process to adopt Advanced Clean Cars II in New Jersey and ensure 100 percent of new cars sold in 2035 are zero-emission vehicles, and enact rules to enhance flood protection in riverine and coastal areas.

“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. 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.”

“The climate change impacts we are already experiencing in our state demand that we take innovative, decisive action today to give future generations of New Jersey residents a chance at a good quality of life,” said Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver. “Our deep affection for New Jersey and the people who call it home propel us to adopt policies and launch programs that help us address and adapt to the realities of climate change. It is with pride that the Murphy Administration takes a leadership role on this urgent issue and we are hopeful that New Jerseyans of every walk of life will support these efforts to promote climate resilience.”

“New Jersey has remained at the forefront of meaningful climate action since the outset of the Murphy Administration, and today’s commitments prove that we are fortifying our state’s resilience with more focus than ever before,” said Jane Cohen, Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Climate Action and the Green Economy. “From the overburdened communities suffering the brunt of pollution today to our children and grandchildren who will experience extreme weather events tomorrow, we know that the stakes are too high to delay our transition to 100% clean energy. The steps we take now will better protect our communities and catalyze the growth of our clean energy economy for generations to come.”

The Governor outlined six pillars that will serve as the foundation for a cleaner, greener, and more resilient New Jersey.

1. Adoption through Executive Order No. 315 of an accelerated target of 100% clean energy by 2035, defined as 100% of the electricity sold in the State to come from clean sources of electricity by January 1, 2035 through clean energy market mechanisms, paired with support for a Clean Energy Standard in New Jersey.
2. Adoption through Executive Order No. 316 of a target to install zero-carbon-emission space heating and cooling systems in 400,000 homes and 20,000 commercial properties and make 10% of all low-to-moderate income (LMI) properties electrification-ready by 2030.
3. Initiation through Executive Order No. 317 of a process in partnership with the state’s hometown utilities, key stakeholders including organized labor, and the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to plan for the Future of the Natural Gas Utility in New Jersey.
4. Allocation of $70 million in unobligated Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) auction proceeds toward lowering consumer upfront costs for medium- and heavy-duty EV adoption.
5. Initiation of the stakeholdering process to adopt Advanced Clean Cars II in New Jersey, which would require all new cars and light-duty truck sales to be zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) by 2035.
6. Anticipated proposal of the NJ PACT REAL rules in Summer 2023, which will provide enhanced flood protection for homeowners, businesses, and infrastructure against increased flooding in riverine and coastal areas.