From the Desk of NJ Senator Anthony Bucco
Senator Anthony M. Bucco (R-25) blasted the Murphy Administration for what may be its very first admission about the actual cost impacts of its colossal Energy Master Plan (EMP).
In advance of yesterday’s hearing on Rule Proposal N.J.A.C. 7:27F, a small piece of the EMP, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protecting (NJDEP) admitted it made a massive error when communicating to the public its estimates for the cost of mandating of electric boilers inside many commercial, retail, industrial and governmental buildings by 2025.
While the NJDEP initially reported a 4.2 to 4.9 percent estimated financial impact of the mandate, they just admitted it’s actually to 4.2 to 4.9 TIMES the current operational costs for natural gas boilers.
“After spending two years hiding the massive cost implications of Murphy’s energy tax on families and businesses, this may be the very first acknowledgment that the Administration’s ridiculous mandates will, at minimum, quadruple energy bills for customers. Due to this outrageous admission, Murphy’s Energy Master Plan should not move forward until we have a full accounting of the total cost involved,” said Bucco. “Many New Jerseyans, including countless small businesses, are struggling to make ends meet because of the Governor’s irrational pandemic policies. Now, he plans to hit them with a 4-5 time increase in their heating bill. This is yet another example of Governor Murphy’s lack of concern for the hardworking middle class of this state.”
The boiler mandate is a small part of a much larger and financially disastrous grand scheme by the Murphy administration to completely shift New Jersey from natural gas heat and appliances to all electric systems powered by renewable energy, which currently account for just 8 percent of the state’s electricity.
Natural gas and nuclear power currently account for more than 90 percent of our state’s electricity, and about 75% of residents have direct utility gas in their homes for heating and cooking.
“Murphy’s whole Plan is a fairytale that will drive more businesses and jobs away from New Jersey, while quadrupling the energy bills for customers,” added Bucco.