With a crowded field of candidates in the race to succeed Gov. Phil Murphy, environmental groups are doing their best to keep their issues at the forefront, releasing a green agenda entitled “Enviro Fix in ’26.”
“The upcoming election is an opportunity for us to ask questions like, ‘Hey, candidate for governor, what are you going to do to reduce asthma rates in Newark and throughout our state?’” said Ed Potosnak, executive director of the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters.
The agenda includes investing in the state’s electric grid and keeping Murphy’s goal of 100% renewable energy by 2035, making communities more resilient to storms, preserving open space and expanding access to parks.
State Sen. Bob Smith (D-Middlesex), who has introduced several bills aimed at reducing New Jersey’s carbon footprint, joined the environmental groups as they introduced the agenda in Trenton on Thursday.
“Despite what the president of the United States says, offshore wind is a key factor in New Jersey’s clean energy transition. But it’s been taking very untruthful hits,” Smith said.
Earlier this week, President Trump issued an executive order pausing new leases for offshore wind farms, and a review of current permits.
