Clean Energy Bill Being Used for Dirty Power

For Immediate Release

February 20, 2015

Contact Jeff Tittel, 609-558-9100

Clean Energy Bill Being Used for Dirty Power

On Monday, the full Assembly will be voting on A3455 (Mukherji) which would amend Class II Renewable Energy to include hydropower facility with a greater than three megawatts, but less than 30 megawatts capacity. We oppose this bill because it does not support clean energy and provides subsidies to incinerators. The New Jersey Sierra Club Director Jeff Tittel released the following statement:

"The bill may sound good but it actually undermines clean energy. The purpose of this bill is to block hydroelectric power from existing facilities that are already in place Pennsylvania from coming on the market in New Jersey. By not allowing this hydropower to come to New Jersey, it means dirtier forms of energy will take its place. The companies that would benefit from this bill are the companies that run New Jersey's four incinerators. The power from hydroelectric in Pennsylvania is cheaper than the power from incinerators. Therefore New Jersey is buying more of the cleaner, cheaper hydroelectric power than the dirtier power from the incinerators. We don't normally support hydroelectric except these dams are already in existence and it's not like they are damming up a valley."

"This bill subsidizes incinerators at the expense of our lungs. Incinerators give off all different types of toxic chemicals from mercury to lead. Smoke stacks also give off foul smells and pollute the air we breathe. Many incinerators cause health problems are are in already overburdened environmental justice areas like Newark, Rahway, Camden, Westville, and Oxford in Warren County. The purpose of this bill is to subsidize incinerators to keep them polluting and prevent cleaner forms of power from coming into the state," said Jeff Tittel.

"This bill uses ratepayer money to subsidize Wheelabrator and Covanta at the expense of public health and the environment," said Jeff Tittel Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.