Clean energy program cuts bad for environment, economy

I n advance of his annual budget address, Gov. Chris Christie announced that he hoped to reduce taxes while still working to balance the state’s budget. With reduced tax revenue coming in to the state, we are concerned that important clean energy programs will once again be in the crosshairs this year.

Last year, the governor and Legislature raided over $400 million from the state’s clean energy programs to help balance the budget — a one-time legal authority to do so.

We oppose any attempt to balance the state’s budget on the back of our successful clean energy programs. As we saw firsthand last year, such a move is bad for the environment and bad for the economy in New Jersey.

Raiding clean energy programs disrupts the successful and growing energy-efficiency and renewableenergy markets in New Jersey, hurting small businesses that now employ thousands of New Jersey workers. And it means more pollution and higher energy demand at a time when we should be reducing pollution and curbing demand for the benefit of everyone who lives or works in New Jersey.

New Jersey’s clean energy programs are funded by ratepayers through a small charge on utility bills and by power generators that, under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, must pay for the pollution they emit into the air. The funds are not state revenue, and are set aside to help residents and businesses save energy by retrofitting homes and office buildings, as well as invest in clean renewable-energy technologies.

New Jersey’s clean energy programs have been an economic success story, even at the depths of the recession. The programs have helped create a strong and growing clean energy economy in New Jersey, with thousands of residents now hard at work installing solar panels, retrofitting buildings with energy-efficient products, and developing the next cutting-edge clean energy technologies.

And the program saves residents money in the long term by reducing energy usage and avoiding the need for expensive and polluting new power plants and power lines.

For the sake of the environment and the growing green energy economy in New Jersey, we urge Gov. Christie and the Legislature to advance a state budget without raiding our successful clean energy programs.

Matt Elliott Global Warming/ Clean Energy Advocate Environment New Jersey Trenton