Unless conservation efforts are stepped up, New Jerseyans are expected
to use 25 percent more electricity in 2020 than they do now.
Although New Jerseyans are enjoying a reprieve from high gasoline
prices, and some are even seeing a price cut on the energy portion of
their utility bills, those costs are likely to increase significantly
as demand increases over the next few years.
New Jersey's demand for electricity is expected to increase by 25
percent by 2020, unless conservation efforts can cut consumption,
according to the Corzine administration. New Jersey already imports 30
percent more energy than it produces, Gov. Jon Corzine said. That
demand could be reduced with further reliance on renewable energy
sources, such as wind and the sun.
So, we applaud Corzine for putting his Cabinet to work on a plan to
reduce energy consumption in the state and increase use of clean,
renewable energy 20 percent by the year 2020.
Corzine has asked residents to offer their suggestions on how to reduce
energy use or improve conservation. Those suggestions could become part
of a new energy master plan Corzine's administration is drafting.
According to state law, a new energy master plan should have been
completed by 2001. A new energy plan is required every decade.
The state Board of Public Utilities will oversee the drafting of a
master plan with input from nine state departments ranging from the
Department of Community Affairs, which already has a plan to boost
energy efficiency in buildings, to the Department of Transportation.
Corzine supports the expansion of the PATCO Hi-Speedline into
Gloucester County to help get vehicles off the road and reduce gasoline
consumption and harmful emissions.
But this overdue extension remains stuck in the preliminary study
phase. Corzine needs to get Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, who also is
chairman of the bistate Delaware River Port Authority that operates
PATCO, to approve a budget so the DRPA can do more than tread water.
Cutting vehicle trips by expanding mass transportation through the
state is long overdue, but will take time to get off the ground. There
already are renewable alternatives that the state could push
immediately, such as offshore wind generators.
We agree with Jeff Tittel, executive director of the New Jersey Sierra
Club. The state doesn't have to wait for its energy plan to be written
in about a year to act on such promising alternatives. New Jersey
should move aggressively to promote a switch to clean energy
alternatives.
