While many master plans wither away on shelves, collecting dust, New Jersey officials say they are working to ensure the state's new energy initiative won't meet the same fate.
Designed to cut heating and electrical bills and create jobs in a slumping economy, the 101-page document represents two years of work by the current administration, with significant input from the state Board of Public Utilities and research conducted by Rutgers University.
It also marks the first time in 15 years that New Jersey has examined how energy is generated and what can be done to make it more affordable without scarring the environment.
With "green" the new buzzword, Gov. Jon Corzine picked an appropriate moment to unveil an energy plan that focuses on conservation, efficiency and renewable energy sources.
The plan's primary goal is a 20 percent reduction in consumption by 2020. It also calls for replacing 30 percent of conventional energy sources with renewable ones, such as solar and wind power.
With demand outpacing supply, prices perpetually rising and political pressure to wean the state off carbon emitting sources that damage the environment, energy is a daunting subject.
Even as New Jersey tries to wrap its arms around this behemoth, officials must concede that the state does not have complete control over the energy infrastructure.
Yet Corzine said the new master plan provides an excellent road map.
"New Jersey is paving the way for a future where a burgeoning, robust energy industry is a major engine of New Jersey's economy," he said when the plan was unveiled. Corzine estimated that investing in the energy infrastructure would create 20,000 jobs by 2020. New Jersey also is establishing itself as a national leader in the elimination of greenhouses gases, said Frank Felder, director of the Center for Energy, Economic and Environmental Policy at Rutgers, which conducted much of the study's research.
The state BPU already has approved $12 million in rebates for three developers to install meteorological towers off the South Jersey coast as a first step toward harnessing wind power. They are Bluewater Wind of Hoboken; Fishermen's Energy of New Jersey, based in Cape May; and Garden State Offshore Energy, a joint venture between Deepwater Wind and Public Service Electric & Gas Co. Lance Miller, BPU chief of policy and planning, said the towers would be constructed this year to collect data on wind strength, aquatic life in the area and bird migration patterns. The information is key to obtaining federal permits and financing. The master plan's goal is to produce 1,000 megawatts of offshore wind energy by 2012 -- enough electricity for 4 percent of the state's energy needs.
"It's going to be tough to meet the 2012 goal. It's not going to be a walk in the park. But we're taking the steps," he said.
Jeff Tittel, executive director of the state chapter of the Sierra Club, doubts whether the state can meet its benchmarks on energy. For instance, he said the wind studies are nothing more than a baseline because there is no risk assessment.
"We're concerned the process may cause delays," he said. (Read a Q&A with Jeff Tittel here.)
Environmentalists said there is much in the plan to applaud, but they wanted more. Tittel was disappointed that the plan did not embrace the potential of wave power or foster experimenting with ways to capture and use methane gas from old landfills. "This is a good middle-of-the road document. But if you think outside the box, there's tremendous potential that's untapped," he said.
The plan also touts conservation and promises to adopt new building codes and standards for household appliances. Yet Tittel said the Legislature has not passed a Green Buildings Act to set the new standards. "They say it's a priority, but I haven't seen the administration put its weight behind it," he said.
But Miller said the master plan is a high priority because the governor recognizes the synergy between energy efficiency and an economic stimulus.
He said the construction and operation of new heating and power plants over the next decade will open a vast new job market.
Tittel agreed that the plan is a "blueprint for the future. But unless it's strongly implemented, it's just another book on the shelf."