Oroho Bill to Short Circuit Costly Electric Initiative Clears Senate

The Legislation Would Prohibit the State from Mandating Electric Heat in Homes

The Senate today approved Senator Steve Oroho’s legislation that would prohibit the Department of Community Affairs, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Board of Public Utilities, and any other state agency from mandating the use of electric heating in buildings and homes.

“In some cases, the convenience of electricity may make sense, but homeowners and businesses should be able to make their own choices without government forcing them to do it,” said Oroho (R-24). “State agencies have no business dictating how residents heat their homes.”

The bipartisan bill, S-4133, allows agencies to offer incentives for installing electric heat or electric water heaters, but prevents them from adopting rules requiring a transition to all-electric.

The state’s Energy Master Plan, updated in 2019 at the Governor’s direction, calls for homeowners to replace central heating systems with heat pumps beginning in 2030 and for the electrification of buildings by 2050.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, Five Year Estimate 2013-2017, 75 percent of homes in New Jersey use natural gas for home heating fuel, while only 12 percent use electricity.

“Three of every four homes in the state could be faced with thousands of dollars in expenses to convert to electric heat, with estimates for a full-house conversion reaching or exceeding $20,000,” Oroho said. “The high cost of living in New Jersey, boosted by oppressive tax rates, would be increased significantly by the electric mandate.

“Property owners should decide if and when they convert to electric. They shouldn’t be bullied into it by government bureaucrats and arbitrary deadlines,” Oroho concluded.