Environmental advocates rallied outside the State House on Monday to urge state lawmakers to pass a series of bills they argued are critical to moving New Jersey into a cleaner energy and climate future.
The environmentalists laid out an agenda focused on five goals: 100% clean energy by 2035, an upgraded power grid, open-space preservation, reduction of transportation-related pollution, and same-day voter registration.
“These are bold, high-reach priorities,” said Ed Potosnak, the executive director of the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters. “These are not easy things.”
Inside the State House afterward, the Senate Environment and Energy Committee met and advanced a handful of bills focused on boosting solar power development and electric vehicle adoption in New Jersey. The committee also discussed two measures that have been debated for years. One is a bill that would divest state pension funds from any positions in fossil-fuel companies, and the other is a proposal to amend the state constitution to prohibit the construction of new fossil-fuel power plants. No votes were taken.
