Assemblyman Christian Barranco ( R-Jefferson/ LD25) said he welcomes the comments by the state’s two highest legislative leaders who appear to be ready to allow the legislature to play a bigger role in developing a long-range energy plan for the state,
Barranco said recent statements by Senate President Nick Scutari (D-Clark) and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin (D-Woodbridge), at the annual New Jersey Utilities Association (NJUA) conference in Long Branch on May 29: “are encouraging and should receive bipartisan support.”
“As a member of the State Assembly, who has a background in electric energy generation, I believe strongly that my colleagues and I should be an integral part of the shaping of our state’s energy needs for today, tomorrow and in the next century,” said Barranco, a member of IBEW local 102 for 20 years, and an expert in the vital field of electrical power generation, transmission, and distribution.
Barranco said energy policy in New Jersey is being driven by the politics of climate crisis instead of natural, economic and feasible reality.
‘You can create a policy that says everything in people’s homes or businesses must be electrified by some arbitrary date, but that’s not a realistic policy – it’s a political statement,” said Barranco.

“We need a policy based on how energy is going to be produced, how is it going to be distributed reliably and how much it is going to cost us. There are unalterable factors of physics and nature that you cannot avoid, ” said Barranco.

The Senate President appeared to be saying many of the same things when he told the (NJUA) conventioneers: “When it comes to energy needs in New Jersey, we’re not just going to throw out everything we’ve known for hundreds of years,” Scutari said – according a report by ROI-NJ. https://www.roi-nj.com/2024/05/30/industry/energy-utilities/scutari-coughlin-preach-patience-on-way-to-achieving-energy-goals/

Coughlin and Scutari told the attendees at the NJUA that the legislature has the benefit of time — and ability to balance idealism with realism. “We need to take a practical approach,” Coughlin said.
Barranco agrees noting that the current State energy policy – which relies heavily on offshore wind power – has been made by Gov. Phil Murphy’s executive orders, which have gone unchallenged by state agencies and most lawmakers – until now.
“I believe that Sen. Scutari and Speaker Coughlin are smart enough to know that New Jersey’s energy future should not rest on wind turbines. There is not a country in the world where offshore wind has been a majority contributor to energy production. Why does the administration think that will happen in New Jersey,” asked Barranco.

GO NUCLEAR

Barranco said the cornerstone to New Jersey’s energy requirements for the next century is nuclear power, and he is glad that Scutari and Coughlin are open to investing in more of it.
“Few people realize it, but nuclear already is responsible for almost 50 percent of the state’s electrical energy consumption. If you take nuclear off the table, what will replace it? It will not be offshore wind,” said Barranco.
The state’s increased need for electricity for businesses and homes – and its cost – must be a major consideration of any realistic energy policy, said Barranco.

“Energy demands are going up, not down. If we want to retain and attract business, we must have reliable sources of energy that are affordable. The only source to meet that demand outside of fossil fuels is nuclear,” said Barranco.

“Nuclear is reliable. Wind is not – it is intermittent. Nuclear is tested in the U.S and Europe. Nuclear has an enormous lifespan, unlike wind,” added Barranco.
Many nuclear plants in Europe routinely last 50 years or more – with one in Switzerland still in operation since 1972. Offshore wind turbines have markedly shorter lifespan. The New Jersey DEP says the lifespan of proposed offshore turbines is less than 30 years.
Barranco pointed out that nearly 70 percent of France’s energy comes from nuclear and that is unlikely to change. In 2022 the current French administration announced plans to build six new reactors and to consider building a further eight.

Both Scutari and Coughlin also made the case for more nuclear, including small modular reactors. “I think nuclear energy is a proven source of energy — has been a proven source of energy,” Scutari said. “I know that people have whatever feelings they have about it, but that is a proven technology that still works and is not dependent on whether the wind blows or not.”

NJ ENERGY EDICTS QUESTIONED

New Jersey has been cautioned about its energy policies under Murphy’s edicts for several years. In 2022, a coalition of 32 business and labor organizations sent a letter to Scutari and Coughlin calling on the legislature to halt the building-electrification mandate until a full analysis of costs can be developed.

“Unfortunately, the electrification of the building sector is not only expensive, but is moving forward without Legislative authorization,” the group wrote.

The coalition of contractors business groups and labor unions said cost estimates to replace a 1.5 million BTU gas boiler – suitable for a school or government building – with an electric boiler begin at $2 million.

In August 2023 Scutari and Coughlin questioned the impacts of wind projects, which are opposed by many shore residents. They said: “There are still many unanswered questions about the economic impact these projects will have on ratepayers as well as potential impacts to one of our state’s largest economic drivers, tourism at the shore,” One empirical example of that difference is the kwh-rate in Germany which gets up to 28% of its electrical power from wind farms. The average kwh-rate in Germany is between 4 or 5 times greater than in New Jersey. Imagine having electric bills in July that are 4 or 5 times greater than the ones we pay now.

Barranco himself cautioned the administration and his colleagues earlier this year when he said that considerable funding to upgrading the electric grid is needed before adding renewable energy sources. “The electric grid modernization plan has to come first,” Barranco said.
He and others argued it would be impossible to integrate the power from all the new projected renewable energy resources into the grid without making massive upgrades to the more than century-old system.

“New Jersey has to stop making energy decisions based on politics and the perception of a climate crisis,” said Barranco, “I believe our legislative leaders have reached the same conclusion.”