TRENTON, NJ – The power grid in New Jersey is barely capable of keeping the lights on in New Jersey during extreme weather events and when New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s gas car ban floods the grid with hundreds of thousands of electric vehicles charging day and night, the grid will collapse.
That’s the opinion of the Rural and Agriculture Council of America.
Mary Jo Foley, a representative from the Rural and Agriculture Council of America, voiced strong opposition to New Jersey’s Advance Clean Cars II (ACCII) initiative during a public hearing. The proposed regulations would require the phase-out of gas and diesel engines by 2035, a move that Foley argues would disproportionately burden the state’s rural and agricultural communities.
Foley stated that internal combustion engine vehicles are essential for rural life, where electric vehicle charging stations are scarce. She highlighted that as of 2022, more than 833,400 New Jersey residents live in rural areas, which also constitute the majority of the state’s land mass and contain its largest industry, agriculture. New Jersey’s third-largest economic sector brings in billions in revenue, primarily from these rural areas.
The existing power grid’s vulnerability was also a major concern for Foley. She cited multiple outages in rural towns along the Jersey Shore and in South Jersey due to factors like heavy winds, snowstorms, and electrical overuse in urban regions. According to her, implementing ACCII would exacerbate these issues, as the power grid is unprepared to meet the demand from thousands more electric vehicles.
Foley also cautioned that the ACCII proposal would lead to higher electricity rates for consumers, who already face some of the highest energy costs in the country. The latest rate hike in the state could increase electricity bills by as much as seven percent depending on the provider.
Foley concluded her statement by addressing the economic implications of transitioning to electric vehicles. Citing the Kelly Blue Book, she pointed out that the average price for a new electric vehicle is $55,000, compared to $35,000 for a traditional four-door sedan. In addition, the American Automobile Association estimates that electric vehicle owners spend at least $600 more annually on maintenance compared to their internal combustion engine counterparts.
The Rural and Agriculture Council of America remains in opposition to the ACCII proposal, but Foley expressed willingness to discuss alternative methods for achieving the state’s emission reduction goals without negatively affecting its rural residents and third-largest economic driver.