Sierra Club criticizes energy report from Christie's transition team

Grace Sica, Outreach Coordinator NJ Sierra Club 145 W. Hanover St. Trenton, NJ 08618 p: 609-656-7612 f: 609-656-7618

                                                                                    For Immediate Release
January 22, 2010 Contact: Jeff Tittel, (609) 656-7612

Sierra Club criticizes energy report from Christie's transition team

Trenton - Governor Christie's transition team released their energy and utility report today, and it is a major step back for the energy and the environment. They are supporting more nuclear power plants, the Susquehanna-Roseland transmission line, and raiding the Clean Energy Fund.

The energy and utility transition team was comprised entirely of executives from the New Jersey utilities and two municipality executives. It should come as no surprise then that their report benefits the utilities. However, it does include good sections to restructure the Board of Public Utilities to work more efficiently.

"Governor Christie's energy transmission report was written by the utilities, for the utilities, and at the expense of the environment and consumer," said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.

The Sierra Club sees the following substantive problems with the report:

 a.. A call for upgrading and improving transmission lines across the Delaware river   b.. Increasing energy generation and exporting more energy to New York City   c.. Encouraging and building new nuclear power plants   d.. Using money in the clean energy fund to save money out of the general fund - sounds like a raid to us   e.. Creating new taxes called a "distribution system improvement charge" to help pay for new power lines   f.. Moving the clean energy fund to Economic Development Authority, this is chaired by Al Koepfe who was the former president of PSE&G. We support their goals on wind, solar, and clean energy jobs. Unfortunately, there is hardly a mention of energy efficiency and the necessary investments. We are also concerned about an attack on the societal benefits charge, which may be diverted.

The members of the energy and utility transition team are as follows:

- Chair Bob Martin, retired partner at Accenture, LLP

- Laurence M. Downes, CEO, New Jersey Resources Corporation

- Connie Hughes, former Commissioner, New Jersey Board of Public Utilities

- Walter Lynch, President, American Water Services

- Russell Maffei, Business Administration Officer, Jersey City

- Caroline Ehrlich, chief of staff, Woodbridge Township

- Joseph Dominguez, Senior Vice President, Exelon Generation

- Ralph LaRossa, President/COO, Public Service Electric and Gas Company

- Robert Clifton, Government Affairs Manager, Comcast

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