NJ Energy Report – February 2023
Actions and comments in New Jersey affecting the energy supply.
Comments
The most significant action and event was the release of the estimated cost (1) of the New Jersey Energy Master Plan (EMP) by the Affordable Energy of New Jersey (AENJ) organization. The EMP was imposed by a Governor Murphy executive order in 2018. Since then, the BPU has refused to provide any cost estimates of implementing the Net Zero goals of the energy plan. The AENJ report show the plan is an unaffordable $1.4 trillion in costs by 2050 or $5,000 per resident per year until 2050.
The Murphy administration, state agencies, local media and environmental groups have not yet disputed the AENJ report. Instead, they just ignore it.
Due to the climate subsidies in the Inflation Reduction Act, Murphy requested changes in the current EMP but these revisions will not be completed until sometime 2025. Instead of waiting for revisions, Murphy issued six changes to the EMP which shorten the time frame of Net Zero from 2050 to 2035 (2).
What are the changes?
- #1 by 2035 all electricity sold (or consumed?) in the state must be clean!
- (What is the definition of clean?)
- #2 by 2030 400,000 homes and 20,000 businesses must be zero emission (electrified?) heating and cooling.
- 10% of low to moderate income (how many) must be ready for electrification% (what is ready?)
- #3 Planning for the use of natural gas
- #4 transferring RGGI money to EV truck use (buy chargers?)
- #5 By 2035 ban the sale of ICE in the state,
- #6 Improve flood protection
This action is supported by a proposed Senate bill (3), S2978, by Senator Bob Smith to legally mandate all electricity be from renewable sources by 2035. Revisions to the plan was supported by an Op-ed (4) which called for improved transparency of costs, calculations and the advantages and disadvantages of various options. However, there is no indication the Op-Ed transparency requests will be included in the EMP implementation procedures. Also, there is no indication maintaining grid reliability is a concern to anyone.
Why are the Net Zero deadlines decreased by 15 years particularly when major affordability problems with meeting 2050 deadlines are being identified?
How could these shortened deadlines be met? Installing wind turbines and solar panels to produce alleged green energy takes feasibility studies to determine the amount of power generation required. Do the studies exist? Have they been reviewed and a cost estimated and approved?
The actual equipment installation and grid modifications require significant engineering studies for defining generation methods and locations, require transmission lines, require grid connections and changes in grid operation methods. Additionally, equipment specifications must be written, equipment ordered, equipment manufactured and tested, equipment installed, which includes multiple transformers which have very long lead times. Transmission line design, tower construction and system testing are necessary. Finally land acquisition must be obtained. Has any of this been done?
Finally, what is the cost of this shortened timeframe? Conveniently excluded from this time shortened narrative is the Net-Zero grid of wind, solar and storage batteries does not exist anywhere in the world. There are no references to follow. Storage batteries holding sufficient charge do not even exist today.
What is the plan to complete all these activities in 12 years?
References
(2’) https://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/562023/approved/20230215b.shtml
(3’) https://www.njspotlightnews.org/2023/02/nj-sees-tighter-deadline-in-new-push-for-clean-energy/
(4) https://www.njspotlightnews.org/2023/02/federal-inflation-reduction-act-of-2022-regional-greenhouse-gas-initiative-energy-master-plan-2023-2024-whale-deaths-covid-19-offshore-wind-turbines-offshore-wind-farms-nj-rate-counsel-environmental/
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