Tom Johnson

Energy and Environmental Writer at NJ Spotlight News

Energy and Environmental Writer at NJ PBS

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Articles

NJ looks for more offshore wind proposals

May 1, 2024 | njspotlightnews.org | Tom Johnson

The Murphy administration has again asked for proposals to build offshore wind projects off the Jersey coast, a step aiming to advance its struggling clean-energy goals despite recent events that have created turmoil in the sector. In a unanimous vote, the state Board of Public Utilities began accepting bids from wind developers Tuesday, looking to build new offshore wind capacity of between 1.2 gigawatts and 4 gigawatts.
Speed is essential for land conservation

Apr 25, 2024 | njspotlightnews.org | Tom Johnson

With land conservation slowing, a new report calls on the state to preserve an additional half-million acres by 2050 and to do much more to make New Jersey’s urban areas greener and healthier. The New Jersey Conservation Foundation study, a collaboration of over 70 organizations and individuals, envisions massive new investments in preserving the more than 1.4 million acres around the state yet to be developed, as well as a new focus on underserved communities of color.
BPU gives the go-ahead to 300 megawatts of solar capacity

Apr 18, 2024 | njspotlightnews.org | Tom Johnson

The state Board of Public Utilities on Wednesday approved more than 300 megawatts of solar projects across the state, a big step boosting one of New Jersey’s most important sources of renewable energy and a key component of Gov. Phil Murphy’s clean-energy agenda. In a solicitation overseen by the BPU, commissioners quickly approved eight projects across seven counties.
Electric vehicle sales up in NJ

Apr 10, 2024 | njspotlightnews.org | Tom Johnson

The sale of electric vehicles was up substantially last year, a trend clean-car advocates hope will lead to New Jersey complying with its goal to have at least 330,000 EVs on the road by the end of 2025. The transition away from gas-powered vehicles to plug-in electric vehicles is a cornerstone of Gov. Phil Murphy’s climate strategy and one that has been among the more successful of the state’s clean-energy policies. And that is due, in part, to lucrative incentives.
NJ looks to advance efforts to build offshore wind transmission

Apr 5, 2024 | njspotlightnews.org | Tom Johnson

With the aim of bringing offshore wind power to customers, a state agency is going to spend the next few months sifting through proposals to build a connection to the existing electric grid. The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities on Thursday closed its solicitation for proposals to begin the second phase of an initiative of how it plans to bring power from offshore wind turbines to the grid.
BPU pulls plug on unpopular nuclear subsidy

Apr 4, 2024 | njspotlightnews.org | Tom Johnson

PSEG Nuclear LLC has notified the Nuclear Regulatory Commission it plans to seek renewal of licenses for its three nuclear power plants in South Jersey, which provide nearly half the state’s electricity and are an integral component of New Jersey’s clean-energy goals. In a letter of intent submitted to the NRC late last week, the company, a subsidiary of PSEG, informed regulators it will seek to extend the operation of the plants.
New stricter pollution standards set for heavy-duty trucks, buses

Mar 29, 2024 | njspotlightnews.org | Benjamin Hulac |Tom Johnson

WASHINGTON – A new generation of trucks and buses used to haul garbage, carry cement, move fuel, ship freight or shuttle people, including on school buses, will have to run significantly cleaner than the current fleet of heavy-duty trucks under new federal standards. The standards, issued in a final rule the Environmental Protection Agency published Friday morning, will apply to heavy-duty trucks for six upcoming model years, 2027 through 2032.
EPA’s new clean-car rule easy onramp for NJ

Mar 21, 2024 | njspotlightnews.org | Tom Johnson |Benjamin Hulac

A majority of new cars, light-duty trucks and SUVs sold in the U.S. by 2032 will be either purely electric or hybrids under an Environmental Protection Agency rule unveiled Wednesday. The regulation, one of the largest regulatory efforts the administration has made to slash heat-trapping greenhouse gases, sets a target of cutting emissions from vehicles’ tailpipes in half by 2032, eliminating more than 7 billion tons of carbon pollution, according to EPA estimates.
Key climate bills advance in NJ legislative committee

Mar 14, 2024 | njspotlightnews.org | Tom Johnson

After months of debate, a pair of climate bills won swift approval from a legislative committee on Thursday, two measures supporters say would help modernize the aging power grid and speed up New Jersey’s clean-energy transition. In a meeting that lasted less than a half-hour, the Senate Environment and Energy Committee voted out the bills, while also approving a proposed amendment to that state Constitution that would enshrine the right to a clean and healthy environment.
Big differences over proposed ‘green’ amendment for NJ

Mar 13, 2024 | njspotlightnews.org | Tom Johnson

It is a relatively simple proposition likely to spawn wide agreement: Everyone is entitled to a clean and healthy environment. But the “green” amendment, a proposed addition to New Jersey’s Constitution, triggered nearly three hours of debate last week when it surfaced again before a legislative committee, six years after last having been voted out of a legislative committee. Similar amendments have been around for a lot longer than that. Pennsylvania enacted its version into state law in in 1971.