Testa: Murphy Moving Further to the Left with BPU Announcement

Senator Michael Testa criticized Governor Murphy for moving further to the left after the administration announced that Christine Guhl-Sadovy will serve as President of the Board of Public Utilities.

“Governor Murphy will go to great extremes to implement his costly and overly aggressive energy disaster plan. Even if it means moving further and further to the left with a hand-picked activist to run the BPU,” said Testa (R-1). “Not only did Christine Guhl-Sadovy call the extreme energy master plan a visionary document, but she also spearheaded the radical-left agenda for the Murphy administration. I find it deeply concerning that one of the architects of this ill-fated energy policy is now going to be the head of the BPU.”

Senator Testa questioned Christine Guhl-Sadovy during her confirmation hearing when she was first nominated to serve as a BPU Commissioner. During her testimony she dismissed any connection between offshore wind surveys and development and the impact that it could have on marine life.

A recent article cited a study conducted by two federal scientific agencies and the commercial fishing industry which documented “numerous impacts that offshore wind power projects could have on fish and marine mammals.” The study specifically highlighted how noise, vibrations, electromagnetic fields, and the structures themselves could alter the marine environment and wildlife.

“When she appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee it was clear that she had predetermined notions about the offshore wind industry and their impact on the marine landscape. It is truly remarkable that someone who refused to answer basic questions about our energy portfolio will now oversee the State’s energy policy decisions,” Testa added. “Her radical-left stance on natural gas is equally disturbing as she shares the same misguided view that the BPU can forcefully electrify the state by 2035 as outlined in Governor Murphy’s ill-conceived energy master plan. New Jerseyans rely on a diverse energy portfolio to heat their homes and go to and from work. Governor Murphy’s decision to install a misguided activist to run the BPU is contradictory to the needs of working families.”