New Jersey Falling Behind Other States in Efforts to Boost Energy Efficiency

NJ Spotlight, September 21, 2015. Image credit: Ken Lund

New Jersey needs to do more to reduce energy use and is falling behind what other states are doing to curb the consumption of gas and electricity, according to a panel of experts at a recent NJ Spotlight roundtable.

New Jersey ranks 26th in the nation in the effectiveness of its energy-savings programs, according to a ranking by a nonprofit organization that promotes such efforts, Brand noted. “This is New Jersey. We’re not going to settle for 26th,’’ she said.

“What we need to do is change the culture of how utilities view energy efficiency as an option,’’ said Janine-Migden Ostrander, a principal in the Regulatory Assistance Project. Utilities ought to earn a return on their investment in energy efficiency, but not to the same extent they profit from building a power plant, she said.

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