NJ Moves Toward Putting Energy Efficiency First

In March Senate and Assembly committees passed NJPIRG-backed energy efficiency legislation that would save ratepayers more than $6 billion over the next fifteen years.

“This legislation puts energy efficiency at the center of solving the energy crisis,” said NJPIRG Consumer Associate Adam Garber.

The bill would let the state require that builders make new homes and buildings 20-30 percent more energy efficient using simple steps such as more insulation and more efficient windows. By 2020, these efficiencies would cut electricity consumption 5.5 percent and natural gas demand 4.6 percent.

NJPIRG has built support for the bill among low-income advocates, green builders, environmental groups and government agencies. “The building industry has the means, methods and technologies to construct buildings with much higher energy efficiencies than current codes require,” said William Amann, President of M&E Engineers. “What we need are energy codes that recognize this, and require that we achieve that potential.”