Fulop releases energy, environmental policy platform

Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop released the newest plank of his gubernatorial platform, a 12-page outline of his environmental and sustainability policy goals.

His plans include a temporary moratorium on warehouse development, an increase in the state’s energy efficiency targets, a further embrace of electric vehicle infrastructure, and an end to New Jersey’s bear hunting season. Fulop’s environmental policy, sustainability, and energy platform is one of seven he’s released so far. 

“Climate change is the defining issue of our time, and we owe it to future generations to confront it with everything we have right now,” Fulop said in a release. “We’re at a crossroads in New Jersey. We can keep accepting business as usual, or we can seize the opportunity to establish ourselves as national leaders in clean energy, sustainability, and environmental justice.”

Fulop outlined the work he’s done in Jersey City, like passing the state’s first plastic bag ban and investing more than $15 million into sustainable transportation.

“No campaign in this race—Democrat or Republican—has demonstrated a track record on climate action like ours,” Fulop said in the release. “I have consistently shown that large-scale sustainable change is possible, and as Governor, I will not take my foot off the gas.”

In the platform, the mayor argued the state’s goal of 2% energy efficiency savings in electricity is “unacceptably low” and should be 7% to match the standards of neighboring states. Fulop also outlined his commitment to offshore wind projects and argued the Garden State is in a perfect position for “responsibly developed” offshore wind infrastructure.

The platform also embraces electric vehicles with a policy that would require utilities to construct electric vehicle charging ports.

“New Jersey currently ranks in the bottom half of states in ports per electric vehicle,” the platform reads. “As Governor, Fulop will implement state-mandated electric vehicle ports as part of each utility’s capital program. This would allow for the building of necessary infrastructure to facilitate more electric vehicles with no impact on taxpayers.”

Fulop is also joining the fray of warehouse controversies around the state — he said he would use an executive order to ban the development of warehouses until a study is performed to determine best practices for warehouse construction.

“Over the last several years, precious open space throughout New Jersey has been acquired and developed into mega warehouses,” the platform reads. “These mega warehouses change the character of municipalities, remove valuable open space, result in more truck traffic and exposure to freight truck pollution, and create more impermeable surfaces, leading to increased flooding.”

Fulop also signaled his intent to protect the state’s open space and maintain New Jersey’s nuclear energy plants.

Fulop’s website lists one platform that’s yet to be released, his taxes and job creation plan.