After the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) approved measures aimed at encouraging building owners to switch from natural gas to electric, Republican lawmakers blasted the plan, saying it’s unrealistic and the first step toward a statewide ban on gas stoves.
Under the decarbonization framework adopted July 26, part of a larger clean energy push from Gov. Phil Murphy, the NJBPU said the state will be able to reach its energy efficiency goals, while reducing the cost of electricity for customers who voluntarily make the transition.
The Democratic governor’s master energy plan – which includes selling only electric cars by 2035, the building of offshore wind farms, and installing zero-emission heating and cooling systems in 400,000 homes and 20,000 commercial properties— aims to help the state reach 100% clean energy by 2050.
‘Extreme’ Plan
Following the regulatory board’s vote, State Sen. Steve Oroho (R-24) issued a statement criticizing the Murphy administration for “forcing” an “extreme energy plan on New Jerseyans which will electrify the entire state and get rid of natural gas completely.”
“The BPU’s action ignores the $1.4 trillion price tag for taxpayers and the tens of thousands of dollars homeowners and businesses will have to spend in conversion costs,” said Oroho. “Never mind the fact that our current energy infrastructure cannot withstand the demands of a full electric conversion.”
Emissions Controls
The retiring lawmaker went on to argue that technology and innovation have significantly advanced the control of emissions and is a better use of state resources.
“Focusing more on technological improvements and innovations, including renewables and nuclear, will surely help to ensure all forms of our energy supply is robust and affordable,” said Oroho.
Assemblyman Hal Wirths (R-24) said its is “absurd” that Gov. Murphy continues to push forward with these “pie-in-the-sky ideas despite the massive cost to taxpayers.”
“How does he think working families will afford the expense of electrifying their homes and replacing their affordable gas-powered vehicles with an expensive EV? We cannot allow Gov. Murphy’s heavy-handed mandates to dictate how we heat our homes or drive to work,” Wirths stated.
BPU’s Move ‘Outrageous’
Meanwhile, Assembly Minority Leader John DiMaio (R-23) accused the NJBPU of overstepping its authority by passing the plan.
“An unelected panel of five should not be reshaping how nine million residents live their daily lives,” DiMaio said. “So why does a board, which most people have never heard of, want to tell them how to cook their food and heat their homes? Consumers will get hit with higher energy costs to pay for government incentives.”
He pointed to a delayed vote earlier this year on legislation that would have allowed NJBPU to set standards, saying “They needed legislative approval for a reason and I’m not sure they have the statutory authority to act on their own. What they are doing is outrageous and it’s flat out wrong.”
Legislative Action Needed
DiMaio—whose district includes Somerset, Warren and Hunterdon counties—said he believes Murphy wants to “bypass the Legislature altogether is because members of his own party are desperately trying to avoid taking a stand on his radical agenda.”
“Time is running short for him to complete his legacy before 2025, but legislative Democrats are rightly scared of getting booted from office in November,” he said.
In a bid to combat any “overreaching mandates,” state GOP lawmakers have introduced several measures, including:
- A5186/S3560 – Prohibits adoption of state and local rules that ban the use of fossil fuel-powered kitchen appliances;
- A2937 – Prohibits state from mandating electric heating or water heating systems;
- A3935/S2671 – Prohibits adoption of any state rule or regulation mandating electric heating or water heating systems in buildings prior to issuance of DCA report;
- A156 – Prohibits state’s participating in multi-state cap-and-trade program to reduce carbon emissions from transportation sector;
- S3684 – Creation of an “Energy Security and Affordability Act” requiring the BPU to consider energy security, diversity and affordability when preparing Energy Master Plan; and
- ACR174/SCR141 – Urges federal government to refrain from implementing any ban on gas-powered appliances in residential or commercial buildings.
Fight Over Gas Stove Mandates
In recent days, Murphy, as well as NJBPU board members, have pushed back on the notion that the state would be ripping out gas stoves from existing homes, stressing that participation in the program is strictly voluntary.
However, Republicans believe “mandates to force conversion are coming whether the governor admits to it or not,” according to Assemblyman Parker Space (R-24).
State Sen. Joe Pennacchio (R-26) added that “Murphy has said that ‘no one is coming for your gas stove’ even as his bureaucrats at the BPU were advancing plans to ‘decarbonize’ the state, which means eliminating natural gas and electrifying everything.”
“Unless we have ironclad guarantees written into state law to protect energy choice and the right of New Jersey consumers to buy and use gas stoves, the governor’s words are meaningless.”
lol. “mandates to force conversion are coming whether the governor admits to it or not,”
Right, just like how they told us that “death panels” were coming whether Obama admitted it or not. Or like how they told us Obama was going to “come take everyone’s guns” whether he admitted it or not.
How many times can these disingenuous Republicans trick people before even their radical base catches on?
And they ask about how working families can afford this? There’s certainly a debate to be had about how to burden the cost of decarbonization, if Republicans actually come to the table with good intentions, but more to the point: how does the Right think working families can afford the effects we’re already seeing from climate change – from increased property damage to insurance companies hiking prices or leaving states like Florida entirely because of their hurricane/flood risk?