Nov. 12, 2007

EDITORS NOTE: ATTENTION ENVIRONMENTAL, POLITICAL, ASSIGNMENT EDITORS, the NJSSI report is available at www.njssi.org.

NEW JERSEYS ENERGY MASTER PLAN

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Gov. Jon Corzine, the state Legislature and growing numbers of New Jerseyans are committed to making the state a leader in fighting global warming. At the same time, rising prices at the gas pumps and the bottom line on consumers home heating contracts and monthly utility bills serve as regular reminders about how everyone is dependent upon fossil fuels and affected by soaring energy costs. Probably before years end, the state will unveil an updated draft energy master plan that could present a new roadmap toward improved energy efficiency. Policymakers assuredly have considered options some more green than others, depending on the point of view of various constituencies including increased reliance on consumer behavior (using mass transit, purchasing hybrid cars and carpooling) and technology (windmills, solar panels and new nuclear power plants, for example).

The New Jersey Sustainable State Institute (NJSSI) at Rutgers recently released a study, Reaching Our Targets: Innovative Global Warming Solutions for New Jersey. Leaders from environmental interests, industry, academia, and state and local government devised sustainability goals for New Jersey and indicators to judge the states progress. They also assessed New Jerseys prospects for achieving Corzines targets for reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 20 percent by 2002 and by 80 percent by 2050.

The following Rutgers experts can discuss the NJSSI report and how findings might relate to the forthcoming draft energy master plan.

CLINTON ANDREWS is a professor and director of the Urban Planning and Policy Development Program at Rutgers Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, and co-chair of the board of the NJSSI.

Contact Andrews at 732-932-3822, ext. 721, or cja1@rci.rutgers.edu.

RANDALL SOLOMON is founder and executive director of NJSSI. His policy experience includes positions as a policy adviser on sustainable development for the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, director of the States Campaign for the Resource Renewal Institute in San Francisco and policy director for the nonprofit New Jersey Future.

Contact Solomon at 732-932-5475, ext. 695, or randalls@eden.rutgers.edu.

Contact: Steve Manas

732-932-7084, Ext. 612

E-mail: smanas@ur.rutgers.edu

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