Ciattarelli Statement on Gov. Murphy’s Energy Master Plan

Not only is the Governor’s energy master plan unrealistic, but like his other policy proposals, it will drive up costs on families, retirees and small businesses, and worsen a state economy that is already dead last or next to last in job growth, wage growth and fiscal health.

Calling for the complete phase out affordable natural gas – which heats about 75% of New Jersey homes – is a disaster. Where is the Governor going to find the money for his grandiose plan to force conversion of furnaces, hot water heaters, stoves, and dryers to electric? I’ll tell you where – New Jersey taxpayers who are already being crushed.

A recent poll commissioned by the Engineers Labor-Employer Cooperative 825 found that 67% of those surveyed don’t want to be told how to heat their homes and how to cook their food. Those are pretty basic beliefs that Governor Murphy just doesn’t get.

The Governor’s policies have consistently picked winners and losers, often to the detriment of the taxpayer. This policy proposal is no different. Governor Murphy infamously said, “If you’re a one-issue voter and tax rate is your issue … we’re probably not your state.” Based on this proposal, the Governor is once again showing how tone-deaf he is to his constituents.

Like other ‘green new deal’ proposals, the Governor’s plan isn’t based on any through economic analysis. His estimate of what the plan will cost our state’s GDP is irresponsibly low and the plan’s economic impact to real estate alone will lead to costs exceeding 2%.

We are in a period of unprecedented natural gas exploration, discovery and extraction, leading our nation to true energy independence. We should be accelerating our energy evolution towards natural gas, not away from it, while leveraging zero-emissions nuclear power along the way. Like most of the Governor’s policies, this plan does nothing to fix our broken state.