This week, Governor Murphy signed Executive Order No. 315, accelerating New Jersey’s goal of reaching 100% clean energy in the state by the year 2035. The State had previously declared a goal of reaching this target by the year 2050. The Governor also announced that it is initiating the process to adopt Advanced Clean Cars II by the end of 2023, a plan that would require all new cars and light-duty truck sales to be zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) by 2035.

The announcement came as part of a speech at Rutgers University where Governor Murphy announced a series of new and accelerated plans to build upon New Jersey’s already robust framework of environmental regulations. “These bold targets and carefully crafted initiatives signal our unequivocal commitment to swift and concrete climate action today,” the Governor said. “We’ve turned our vision for a greener tomorrow into a responsible and actionable roadmap to guide us, and it’s through that pragmatic, evidence-based approach that we will ultimately arrive at our destination.”

In addition to the above, Governor Murphy outlined four other initiatives to combat climate change and power the “Next New Jersey”:

• Executive Order No. 316: adoption of a target to install zero-carbon-emission space heating and cooling systems in 400,000 homes and 20,000 commercial properties and make 10% of all low-to-moderate income properties electrification-ready by 2030.
• Executive Order No. 317: initiation of a process in partnership with the state’s hometown utilities, key stakeholders including organized labor, and the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to plan for the Future of the Natural Gas Utility in New Jersey.
• Allocating $70 million in unobligated Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) auction proceeds toward lowering consumer upfront costs for medium and heavy-duty EV adoption.
• Anticipated proposal of the NJ PACT REAL rules in Summer 2023, which will provide enhanced flood protection for homeowners, businesses, and infrastructure against increased flooding in riverine and coastal areas.