NEW JERSEY LCV AND NEW JERSEY CONSERVATION FOUNDATION APPLAUD GOVERNOR MURPHY BUDGET FOCUS ON GREEN JOBS ECONOMY

TRENTON – The following statement is from Ed Potosnak, Executive Director, New Jersey League of Conservation Voters and Tom Gilbert, Campaign Director, New Jersey Conservation Foundation and Rethink Energy NJ, regarding Governor Murphy’s Fiscal Year 2022 budget address today and the focus on catalyzing a sustainable green jobs recovery that will benefit all New Jerseyans.

“The Governor’s budget address acknowledges that we still have a long way to go as we work to recover from the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic, but his plan to create a 21st century sustainable green jobs economy will put us on the right track. The clear commitment to expanding good, local union jobs in the clean energy sector will provide a living wage to sustain our middle class and help to create a prosperous future,” said Ed Potosnak, Executive Director, New Jersey LCV. “While we will be examining what ‘getting rid of antiquated permitting rules’ at the Department of Environmental Protection exactly means to ensure that NJ’s rigorous environmental safeguards continue to be applied, we look forward to working with the administration to move our state forward.”

“The Governor’s budget takes important steps in the right direction to restore some of the clean energy funds and to increase staffing at the NJ Department of Environmental Protection,” said Tom Gilbert, Campaign Director for NJ Conservation Foundation and Rethink Energy NJ. “Investing in clean energy and our environment is a smart way to create much-needed jobs and improve the health of our communities.”

The following are Governor Murphy’s budget environmental highlights:

• Nation-leading investments in offshore wind highlighted by $200 million in direct funds for New Jersey’s Wind Port to make our state a regional hub for offshore wind manufacturing and development
• Funding for the new Office of Climate Action and the Green Economy to ensure New Jerseyans realize the good local union jobs provided by the clean energy economy
• Increase of staff at the Department of Environmental Protection
• Reductions in Clean Energy Fund diversions to make the critical investments needed to transition to our clean energy economy
• Forward movement on the Administration’s promise to secure clean drinking water for all New Jerseyans with a $60 million investment for lead remediation

New Jersey League of Conservation Voters is a non-partisan organization whose mission is to elect environmental champions, hold public officials accountable, and support laws which protect our environment and improve the quality of people’s lives. 

The mission of New Jersey Conservation Foundation is to preserve land and natural resources throughout New Jersey for the benefit of all.