Christie Calls Renewable Energy Goal A “Pie in the Sky Sop”

More Nuke and Fossil Generation – Scaled Back Commitments to Conservation, Efficiency, and Renewables

Governor Christie just held a long awaited press conference on release of his revisions to the 2008 Energy Master Plan adopted by the Corzine Administration.

I joined the press conference in progress, but not too late to hear the Governor call the Corzine EMP’s 30% renewable energy goal a “pie in the sky sop” to special interest groups with no realistic path to implementation of that goal.

So, before I go back and read the Christie EMP and write about it in detail, I thought folks might want to know what Christie just called a “pie in the sky sop” – to be replaced by more polluting fossil power and nuke generation:

While the goal of 22.5% by 2020 is aggressive and strong compared to other states, New Jersey can do more to develop an energy infrastructure that is less carbon intensive and less reliant on the volatility of the current energy markets. In fact, the State can surpass the goals of this RPS by implementing the following action items:

• Change the solar energy goals from a percentage of 2.12% to a goal of 2,120 GWh by 2020.

• Develop New Jersey’s wind energy resources, including at least 1000 MW of offshore wind by the end of 2012, and at least 3000 MW of offshore wind and up to 200 MW of onshore wind by 2020.

• Develop 900 MW of biofuels and biomass as part of the State’s 2020 RPS.

• Increase support for other renewable energy technologies.

• Increase the RPS for the years 2021 to 2025.

Together, it is estimated that these renewable energy goals will provide more than 20,000 GWh of clean and renewable electricity generation to the State’s consumers by 2020.

Based on projected reductions in energy consumption and the cogeneration goals, listed under Goal 1 and Goal 4 of this plan respectively, this total demand for electricity supply in the State may be as low as 68,300 GWh in 2020. This would result in renewable energy generation supplying approximately 30% of the State’s overall electricity demand (page 67)

No actions steps to implement the goal? Pie in the sky?