NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR PHIL MURPHY SIGNS HISTORIC CLEAN ENERGY BILL

May 23, South Brunswick, NJ – Today New Jersey governor Phil Murphy signed a comprehensive clean energy bill that will require the state to achieve 50% renewable electricity by 2030 and provide for further growth of the solar energy economy, according to the Mid-Atlantic Solar Energy Industries Association (MSEIA). The bill also contains ambitious goals to develop offshore wind, incorporate battery storage into the electric grid, accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles, and promote energy efficiency.

MSEIA is a trade organization that has represented solar energy companies in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware since 1997. For over 20 years, the organization has spearheaded efforts in the Mid-Atlantic region to make solar energy a major contributor to the region’s energy future.

“This new law is nothing less than a fundamental overhaul of the way our state will generate, distribute, and use energy”, stated Jim Spano, MSEIA’s Vice President for New Jersey. “It will launch New Jersey, the birthplace of solar power technology, into the forefront of the drive to combat global warming and create a sustainable energy future”.

MSEIA notes that Governor Murphy, who took office on January 16th of this year, has quickly followed up on his campaign pledge to utilize solar power, offshore wind, and batteries to move the state toward a goal of 100% renewable energy by 2050. According to Lyle Rawlings, President and co-founder of MSEIA, “Considering the complexity and scope of this pivotal change in our economy, Governor Murphy has moved with remarkable speed to create a basis in law to advance these goals”.

MSEIA also recognized the key role of Senator Bob Smith, the prime sponsor of the bill in the state Senate, who has long been a champion of clean energy legislation. Senator Smith is a recipient of MSEIA’s Chapin, Fuller, Pearson Medal, which is awarded periodically to persons “who have made extraordinary contributions to the development of solar energy in the Mid-Atlantic region”. The medal is named after the three scientists who invented the modern solar cell at Bell Labs in Murray Hill, New Jersey in 1954.

Questions can be directed to:

Marianne Leone, Administrator, MSEIA: (973) 886-0526; info@mseia.net
Lyle Rawlings, President, MSEIA: 908-751-5818 lyle@advancedsolarproducts.com