One of the most discussed “kitchen table” topics of late is the administration’s obsession with the near total electrification of our energy supply by the year 2035.
While the deadline is still over a decade away, it will be near impossible to undo and change more than a century’s worth of infrastructure to accommodate a total reliance on electricity for our home, business, communication, and transportation needs. All of this stems from the panicked desperation to “do something about climate change before it is too late.”
While cutting carbon emissions is certainly a laudable goal that should be pursued, destroying our economy, environment, and way of life in the process is not. There are several factors to keep in mind when formulating a sound, realistic energy policy for New Jersey.
First, we must remember what the Biden administration’s own Climate Czar John Kerry said, and that is, “90% of carbon emissions come from outside U.S. borders” and that even if the U.S. achieved zero carbon emissions it would have no impact on climate change. Why then, should New Jersey residents get slammed with draconian restrictions like banning the sales of gas vehicles, appliances, and equipment?
This holds especially true since countries like China and India are still building coal plants at significant rates and no other comparable nation has done anywhere near what the United States has already done to reduce its carbon footprint.
Second, with New Jersey’s perennial worst in the nation business climate rating, we can ill-afford to destroy businesses who depend on gas-powered vehicles, appliances, and equipment, either through manufacture and sales, or for direct operation. Affordability for residents is also an ongoing problem in New Jersey that will only be exacerbated by the enormous costs of eliminating existing energy supplies before sufficient infrastructure and supplies of alternative energy are in place.
Whether or not alternative energy products, if even available, are feasible should be left up to the business and/or resident instead of some arbitrary deadline set by bureaucrats in Trenton. Other states who have set similar timetables are already beginning to back away from rigid changeover dates. Connecticut recently pulled back on its 2035 date for eliminating sales of gas-powered vehicles with other states likely to follow.
Finally, I believe everyone is supportive of alternative energy and looks forward to the many innovations that are on the horizon. However, for now and the immediate future we need an energy supply that is plentiful, reliable, and economical.
That supply should be diverse and include existing energy resources as well as newly developed technologies. As I’ve said in the past, I would put goose droppings in my car if it would make it run. I have no affinity for fossil fuels beyond the fact that they are affordable, reliable, and available.
Including them with alternative energy will make the transition that much smoother for New Jersey residents and businesses. It will also allow the rest of the world a chance to do even a fraction of what the United States has done to reduce carbon emissions and address climate change on a global scale.
