On February 16, Governor Phil Murphy signed Executive Order No. 221, which creates the Office of Climate Action and the Green Economy. This newly formed Office will focus on the interlocking priorities of addressing climate change, ensuring New Jersey’s clean energy future, and transitioning to a green economy while prioritizing equity and environmental justice.
The Executive Order also creates the Council on the Green Economy, which will fall within the Office, to advise on matters related to jobs. First Lady Tammy Murphy will serve as Honorary Chair, and the Council will be co-chaired by the Commissioner of Labor, Commissioner of Environmental Protection, and the President of the Board of Public Utilities. Members of the Council will include representatives from other State departments, as well representatives from chambers of commerce, organized labor, industry, utilities, green business, environmental justice communities, academia, small business, workforce development, and environmental advocacy.
Within one year, the Council shall deliver a report of its recommendations for a comprehensive and coordinated green economy strategy. The report must account for appropriate support for workers potentially displaced in course of the state’s transition to a green economy.
Governor Murphy also announced a $100 million investment of proceeds from the New Jersey’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and its prosecution of Volkswagen for emissions cheating. The $100 million will fund the following projects:
- $9 million in grants for local government electrification projects that will help to improve air quality in environmental justice communities through the deployment of electric garbage and delivery trucks
- $13 million in grants for low- and moderate-income communities to reduce emissions that affect our children’s air quality through the deployment of electric school buses and shuttle buses
- $5 million in grants for equitable mobility projects that will bring electric vehicle ride hailing and charging stations to four New Jersey towns and cities
- $5 million in grants for deployment of fast charging infrastructure at 27 locations statewide
- $36 million to reduce diesel and black carbon emissions in environmental justice communities by electrifying port, cargo handling, and other medium- and heavy-duty equipment in port and industrial areas
- $15 million towards NJ TRANSIT bus electrification
- $15 million towards flex funding to further deploy additional funding to the listed initiatives
For a copy of Executive Order No. 221, please click here.
For more information on RGGI, the Volkswagen Mitigation Trust and grant recipients, please see the following links: Link 1, Link 2.
Should you have any questions, please contact Hilary Chebra, Manager of Government Affairs at hchebra@chambersnj.com.
