Green Jersey

The governor’s race and New Jersey’s energy future

by Matt Elliott

If the past few weeks are any indication, the remainder of the campaign for governor of New Jersey could be a whirl of attack ads and mudslinging on corruption and taxes.

Corruption and taxes are two important issues for sure. But they’re not the only issues that voters want their next governor to tackle. We need a more robust debate.

When I talk to New Jersey voters, it’s clear that they want more out of this campaign. They have the right to hear about the other issues that matter — like our energy future.

Year after year, in poll after poll, 70 to 80 percent of New Jersey residents say they strongly support clean energy and want their elected officials to do more to support wind, solar and other technologies. You’d be hard-pressed to find that level of overwhelming support for almost any other issue in politics today.

And when it comes to New Jersey’s energy future, the timing of this campaign could not be more critical. The decisions made by the next governor will shape our energy future for decades to come.

The next governor will determine whether we make our air even dirtier and create more global warming pollution by building new coal-fired power plants in New Jersey. His administration will decide whether we make matters worse by piping in even more dirty energy from West Virginia and Pennsylvania Coal Country. And he will decide whether we continue to use our energy inefficiently as we watch our utility bills skyrocket.

He will also hold the power to choose a different path for New Jersey.

With strong leadership from the next governor, New Jersey would look like a very different place. Solar panels on homes, businesses and parking lots everywhere you look. Windmills 20 miles off the coast of Atlantic City, powering over one million New Jersey households. Energy-efficient buildings that reduce statewide energy demand and save consumers big money on their electric bills. And clean energy companies relocating to New Jersey, creating jobs building solar panels and wind turbines and hiring the scientists and engineers who will develop the next breakthrough in renewable technology.

With strong energy policies from the next governor, we could clear our air, slash statewide energy demand, create thousands of new jobs and begin to make smarter choices. These decisions will have lasting impacts.

Unfortunately, the candidates for governor have been distracted by the hot-button issues of the day and have said little about their plans to re-power New Jersey. We have to demand more of them.

Environment New Jersey is working to give voters a real voice in this election. We know that energy issues matter to New Jerseyans, and we want the candidates to hear them.

On Sept. 8 at 7 p.m., we will host a town hall meeting on New Jersey’s energy future in Westfield. The public is encouraged to attend and share their views on energy issues in New Jersey. To RSVP, and for more information, contact me at melliott[at]environmentnewjersey.org or visit environmentnewjersey.org.

The three major gubernatorial candidates have also been invited to attend and share their vision for energy in New Jersey. Independent candidate Chris Daggett has confirmed that he will attend. Chris Christie will send a policy adviser familiar with the candidate’s positions on energy. Gov. Jon Corzine has not yet responded to our invitation.

At this point in the race, the stakes are high. We need to hear that each candidate will make clean energy a top priority of the next administration, and we need details on how they’ll make that happen. I encourage voters who care about clean energy to join us in Westfield at the Memorial Library on Sept. 8 to hear directly from the candidates and make their voices heard on this important issue.

The polls on clean energy speak for themselves. More than ever, voters need to send a clear message that they expect their next governor to promote clean energy, create new green jobs and position New Jersey as the nation’s clean energy leader. And the candidates need to listen.

Matt Elliott is the Global Warming and Clean Energy Advocate for Environment New Jersey, a statewide environmental group representing over 23,000 citizen members. A version of this essay first appeared on njvoices.com.