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New Jersey
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Definitions
Planning and Measurement | Targets and Caps | Reporting | Power Sector | Transportation Sector
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Planning and Measurement
State Advisory Board
Status: No Activity Identified
Regional Initiatives
Status: Completed
Details: Member of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). RGGI is a cooperative effort by Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states to establish a regional cap-and-trade program initially covering carbon dioxide emissions from power plants in the region. On March 17, 2008, participating states announced plans for a carbon dioxide allowance auction to be held September 25, 2008, as part of a cap-and-trade program to take effect beginning January 1, 2009. Some legislative approvals are still pending before the first-of-its-kind auction will take place on behalf of all 10 states. On January 7, 2008, the New Jersey legislature passed a bill (A4559) through both the house and senate that would formally adopt RGGI.
On October 29, 2007, New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine signed onto the International Carbon Action Partnership. The goal of the new partnership is to foster information-sharing among countries and states facing climate change.
- http://www.rggi.org/
- http://www.billtrak.net/bt212/billtext/A_4/A_4559I1.HTM
- http://www.icapcarbonaction.com/
GHG Inventory
Status: Completed/Further Work In Progress
Details: On July 6, 2007, New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine signed the Global Warming Response Act (A3301/S2114), which tasks the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) with developing an inventory of the state's GHG emissions for both 1990 and 2006 and creating a system for monitoring the state's current GHG emissions.
On February 13, 2007, in Executive Order 54, Governor Corzine directed the state DEP to develop a permanent system to monitor and report the state's GHG emission levels on an on-going basis and provide to the governor and the legislature, on an annual basis, its inventory of GHG emissions within New Jersey.
GHG inventory completed in 1995.
- http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2006/Bills/A3500/3301_R2.HTM
- http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/downloads/NJSummary.PDF
Climate Change Action Plan
Status: Completed/Further Work In Progress
Details: Signed on February 13, 2007, Governor Corzine's Executive Order 54 established a process by which state agencies, in consultation with stakeholders, will make recommendations for actions New Jersey can take to reduce GHG emissions. The DEP is working with the nonprofit Center for Climate Strategies to facilitate stakeholder input into the Executive Order 54 recommendations. A new plan was due in June 2008, but as of August 15, 2008, it had not been posted. Earlier plan prepared by the New Jersey Climate Change Workgroup in December 1999 and revised in March 2002.
- http://www.state.nj.us/globalwarming/initiatives/
- http://www.state.nj.us/globalwarming/public/
- http://www.4cleanair.org/Documents/StateGHGActions-chart.pdf
Targets and Caps
Lead by Example Target
Status: No Activity Identified
Statewide GHG Target
Status: Completed
Details: On July 6, 2007, New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine signed the Global Warming Response Act (A3301/S2114). The act requires DEP to establish a GHG reduction program to reduce the global warming emissions, primarily carbon dioxide, produced in New Jersey to below 1990 levels by 2020. Governor Corzine established statewide GHG targets for New Jersey, on February 13, 2007 in Executive Order 54, of 1990 levels by 2020 and 80% below 2006 levels by 2050. He also directed the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), along with other state agencies, to evaluate policies and measures that would allow the state to reach its goals and the economic costs and benefits of doing so.
Statewide GHG Cap
Status: Completed
Details: On July 6, 2007, New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine signed the Global Warming Response Act (A3301/S2114), which commits the state to reducing its GHG emissions to 1990 levels by 2020-a reduction of roughly 20%. The legislation also commits to an 80% reduction in the state's GHG emissions by 2050. New Jersey is already a participant in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), which will cap emissions from power plants in the region at current levels through 2015, followed by a 10% reduction by 2019. The new legislation sets more aggressive goals and is not limited to the state's power plant emissions.
Announced membership in the International Carbon Action Partnership on October 29, 2007 - a group of public authorities and governments that have established or are actively pursuing carbon markets through mandatory cap and trade systems as one approach for reducing GHG emissions.
Reporting
Electricity Disclosure
Status: Completed
Details: As part of its 1999 electric-utility restructuring legislation, electric suppliers must disclose information on fuel mix, air emissions (SO2, CO2, NOx), and support of energy efficiency (1999).
- http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=NJ06R&state=NJ&CurrentPageID=1&RE=1&EE=1
- http://www.dsireusa.org/documents/Incentives/NJ06Ra.htm
GHG Registry
Status: In Progress
Details: Member of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), under which entities in the power sector will be required to report (and reduce) their GHG emissions. RGGI's first compliance period will begin January 1, 2009. New Jersey is developing implementation rules for the state's participation in RGGI.
Member of The Climate Registry - a collaboration aimed at developing and managing a common GHG emissions reporting system across states, provinces, and tribes. It will provide an accurate, complete, consistent, transparent, and verified set of GHG emissions data from reporting entities, supported by a robust accounting and verification infrastructure. Members released a final General Reporting Protocol in May 2008. The Climate Registry plans to start accepting data in summer 2008.
Mandatory GHG Reporting
Status: Completed/Further Work In Progress
Details: Member of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), under which entities in the power sector will be required to report (and reduce) their GHG emissions. RGGI's first compliance period will begin January 1, 2009. On July 6, 2007, Governor Jon Corzine signed the Global Warming Response Act (A3301/S2114), which commits the state to reduce its GHG emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 and by a total of 80% by 2050. As part of efforts to monitor the state's achievements, the legislation requires the development of rules and regulations that establish a GHG emissions monitoring and reporting program by January 1, 2009. At a minimum, fossil fuel manufacturers and distributors, electricity generators, and gas public utilities will be subject to mandatory reporting. The NJ Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Air Quality, adopted a regulation on January 23, 2003, stating that, starting with reporting year 2003, facilities with higher potential to emit (PTE) must report emissions of CO2 and methane.
- http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2006/Bills/A3500/3301_R2.HTM
- http://www.rggi.org/docs/program_summary_10_07.pdf
- http://rggi.org/home
Power Sector
CO2 Offset Requirements
Status: No Activity Identified
GHG Performance Standard
Status: No Activity Identified
Advanced Coal Technology
Status: No Activity Identified
Power Sector GHG Cap and Trade
Status: Completed
Details: Member of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). RGGI is a cooperative effort by Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states to establish a regional cap-and-trade program initially covering CO2 emissions from power plants in the region. On March 17, 2008, participating states announced plans for a carbon dioxide allowance auction to be held September 25, 2008, as part of a cap-and-trade program to take effect beginning January 1, 2009. On January 13, 2008, the governor signed a bill (A4559) that formally adopted RGGI. New Jersey has proposed to auction 100 percent of its CO2 allowances with the proceeds going to efforts to increase energy efficiency, reduce energy costs for low-income consumers, and local government GHG planning, among other things.
Transportation Sector
GHG Auto Standards
Status: In Progress
Details: The 2004 New Jersey Clean Car Act adopted California's vehicle emissions standards. On January 2, 2008, California filed a lawsuit challenging the U.S. EPA's denial of the state's effort to regulate GHG emissions from motor vehicles, in response to EPA's rejection of a petition for a Clean Air Act waiver on December 19, 2007. A waiver is required for California and other states to implement a vehicle emissions standard tougher than the federal one. The proposed auto standard calls for the reduction of GHG emissions from new vehicles of 22% by 2012 and 30% by 2016.
Low Carbon Fuel Standard
Status: No Activity Identified