New Jersey Governor Jon S. Corzine called on the public and private sectors to participate in a plan to invest nearly $1 billion over the next year on energy efficiency and renewable energy.
Governor Corzine on Friday addressed participants in New Jersey’s Clean Energy Conference, detailing his plans to provide immediate and long-term green jobs growth by investing and developing New Jersey’s green economy.
"One of the cornerstones of my economic stimulus plan is an investment in changing our energy future by converting the challenge of a ‘carbon-constrained’ future into an opportunity to drive a clean energy future fueled by innovation, economic opportunity, local job growth, and environmental fortification," said Governor Corzine.
Governor Corzine plan includes:
- Calling upon New Jersey’s electric and gas utilities to invest $500 million in utility energy efficiency programs for residential and business customers over the next year.
- Maximizing the substantial investment of $462 million that New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program has planned for the rest of this year and all of next year specifically for renewable energy and energy efficiency.
- Working with the Legislature to pass Energy Savings Improvement legislation that would allow $80 million of private sector investment in schools, towns, counties, and public colleges and universities. The companies doing the work would be remunerated through the recaptured energy savings. During the first year of this program, this investment would generate $20 million in energy savings and 500 jobs, the governor said.
In addition to discussing these immediate-term investments and job creation, Governor Corzine also discussed the longer-term jobs that will be created through New Jersey’s Energy Master Plan (EMP), which will be released next week.
"Meeting the aggressive targets that the EMP will lay out for energy efficiency, renewable energy, demand response and new generation will require the immediate development of green collar jobs in New Jersey, for a total anticipated creation of at least 20,000 green collar jobs between now and 2020," said Governor Corzine. "At a time when jobs are being cut all over the country, investments in the clean-energy industry represent just the type of ‘jobs program’ we need in New Jersey-money-saving, pollution-cutting, and technologically innovative.
"By driving New Jersey’s Clean Tech Economy, we will be taking the unprecedented opportunity to position our state to compete in the regional and global green economy."
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