Senate & Assembly Joint Environment Committee to Discuss the Issues of Climate Change Adaptation & Coastal Resiliency

TRENTON – The Senate Environment and Energy Committee and the Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee will meet jointly on Thursday, August 11, 2022, at 10:00 AM in the LMH Room, Toms River Municipal Complex, 33 Washington Street, Toms River, New Jersey.

The joint committee, chaired by Senator Bob Smith (D-Middlesex, Somerset) and Assemblyman James Kennedy (D-Middlesex, Somerset, Union), will hear testimony from invited guests and the public on the issues of climate change adaptation and coastal resiliency, and what steps the State can take to address these issues. The hearing will include specific discussion of two bills addressing fossil fuels and renewable energy.  

The first measure, S-2978, would revise the State’s Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards (RPS) to increase the required proportion of electricity sold in New Jersey come from renewable energy sources. The bill would require at 100 percent renewable energy in the RPS by 2045.

The second bill, S-416/A-1733, would prohibit investments of the State’s retirement funds in any of the top 200 companies with the largest carbon-content fossil fuel reserves. Divestment from coal companies would have to occur within two years of the date of enactment and from all other fossil fuel companies by a date to be determined in the bill. The State Investment Council would identify all companies subject to divestment and report annually on the progress of divestment. Both bills are for discussion only on Thursday.

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