Health, climate rally in support of legislation that will set the standard for healthier, more affordable homes and buildings in New Jersey 

S.249 would offer more options for New Jersey residents and businesses to lower their energy bills by adopting highly efficient heat pumps

Trenton, NJ — A coalition of health, environmental justice and climate organizations today advocated in support of Senate Bill 249 (S.249), legislation that would require electric utilities to propose and implement beneficial electrification programs for homes and businesses that reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with New Jersey’s climate goals. Ahead of today’s hearing on the bill, advocates joined Sen. Bob Smith, the bill’s cosponsor at a press conference to discuss how S.249 sets the standard for healthier, more affordable homes and buildings in New Jersey.

S.249 enables New Jersey’s energy efficiency programs to offer more options for residents and building owners to lower their energy bills, improve air quality, and reduce emissions by upgrading to highly efficient clean energy technology like heat pumps, which can save residents up to 41% on their annual energy bills. Choosing heat pumps can also reduce a building’s emissions by 33% in just the first year, and 59% over the lifetime of the equipment.

Momentum is building for New Jersey to invest in programs that help residents upgrade to healthier homes and buildings. In May, the president of ASHRAE, which represents nearly 1,000 New Jersey HVAC professionals, sent a letter to the New Jersey Senate to support policies to accelerate the adoption of highly efficient heat pumps. After Gov. Phil Murphy joined eight states to pledge to accelerate heat pump adoption to reach 65% of HVAC sales by 2030 and 90% of HVAC sales by 2040 earlier this year, more than 20 industry voices and eight manufacturers came out in support of this pledge. The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities recently enacted a package of new construction incentives that will promote electrification measures and  greater energy efficiency, and residents will soon be able to access more than $183 million in federal rebates from the Inflation Reduction Act.

Below are quotes from a coalition of climate advocates in support of S.249:

Michael Seilback, Asst VP, Nationwide Advocacy, State Public Policy, American Lung Association: 

“New Jersey has the opportunity to protect our lung health by passing S.249. Continued promotion of energy-efficient and healthy buildings will reduce the burden of respiratory illnesses that are exacerbated by poor air quality caused by emissions from combustion-based appliances. These harmful emissions increase asthma symptoms, lowers immune system response and increases overall lung infections in vulnerable populations. We applaud the efforts being made to deliver cleaner, healthier air for all.”

Joe O’Brien-Applegate, Eastern Equitable Building Decarbonization Advocate, Climate & Energy, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC):

“New Jersey has made bold commitments to pursue policies that can lower our energy bills, clean up our air and tackle emissions from our buildings, and now thanks to S.249 and thousands in new rebates and incentives that will soon be available to residents to adopt healthier, more affordable homes, we have an opportunity to deliver on those commitments. Sen. Smith’s bill is forward-looking legislation that ensures that New Jersey’s energy efficiency programs can go further by offering customers the opportunity to adopt healthier, more efficient electric equipment such as heat pumps.”

Bill Amann, President, M&E Engineers, Inc.

“Getting better, more efficient technology in the hands of more people is not just good climate policy, it’s good for consumers and good for jobs. That’s why time and again businesses and manufacturers continue to support policies that accelerate the adoption of highly efficient heat pumps. S.249 will be a boon to New Jersey’s energy efficiency programs and help bolster the market for this highly efficient technology, lowering costs further for consumers.”

Nicole Miller, Vice Chair, New Jersey Progressive Equitable Energy Coalition (NJPEEC):

“New Jersey’s metro areas have some of the worst air quality across the nation. The health impacts of this air pollution are not felt equally. Black, Brown, Indigenous and low-income communities, already at risk from extreme heat and flooding due to climate change, face higher rates of asthma and other chronic health conditions resulting from burning fossil fuels. S.249 lays the foundation for all New Jerseyans, including our most vulnerable populations, to have greater access to healthier, more affordable homes while saving thousands each year in energy bills by increasing options for residents to adopt clean, efficient heat pumps.”

Anjuli Ramos-Busot, NJ State Director for the Sierra Club: 

“Every time fossil fuels like gas or propane are burned in a home, they release dangerous pollutants like nitrogen oxides, a key ingredient of smog, which can trigger asthma attacks in the short term and exacerbate chronic health conditions in the long term. By pairing our energy efficiency programs with opportunities to adopt highly efficient heat pumps, S.249 will deliver cleaner, healthier air for New Jersey families while reducing the state’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Barbara Blumenthal, New Jersey Conservation Foundation:

“The New Jersey legislature has an opportunity to reduce utility bills for New Jersey families and take a measurable step toward our climate goals in one fell swoop. Energy efficiency and healthier, more efficient electric equipment go hand in hand. Passing S.249 will not only reduce climate emissions, it will also offer up to thousands of dollars in annual savings by enabling residents and businesses to take common sense steps to better insulate their buildings  and upgrade to highly efficient electric equipment such as heat pumps.”

Ed Potosnak, Executive Director, New Jersey League of Conservation Voters: 

“Today’s electric appliances are more affordable and help improve air quality inside and outside. This bill will help bring the benefits of lower costs and clean air to New Jersey families and businesses. With hundreds of millions of dollars in new rebates and incentives to help lower the cost of this highly efficient technology, the time is now to pass S.249 and deliver financial relief to hard-working New Jerseyans.”

Doug O’Malley, Director of Environment New Jersey:

“The revolution of electrification of home heating is upon us. Nationally, the sales of heat pumps has surpassed fossil heating furnaces. Our buildings are the second largest source of climate pollutants and a hidden source of air pollution. Burning fossil fuels in our homes is archaic and the installation of every new fossil home heating appliance is a policy failure. Coal shoots are a relic of a different era and we are on the cusp of another transition to electric home heating. The passage of the beneficial electrification bill (S249) will put New Jersey on a path to home heating electrification – we should embrace the future and not cling to last century’s polluting technologies.”

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