Investors in New Jersey have feasted on an abundance of energy subsidies, traditionally for fossil fuels, but heavy emphasis has been placed on renewables in recent years. Homeowners also have been cashing in, and more than 9,000 solar projects have gone online in the last 10 years, reaping $354 million in rebates from three state programs.
Christie’s controversial 141-page document strikes at the heart of some of the generous rewards for green projects, saying the costs are unfairly shouldered by businesses and other ratepayers.
Yeah, "controversial". OK. Maybe because maybe Christie realizes this is the most insane, if not Orwellian, line item that can possibly appear on a consumer's utility bill:
...utility bills typically carry a societal benefits charge (SBC), some of which pays for efficiency incentives and clean energy development. The SBC adds up to nearly 4 percent of the bills. Utility companies spent $698 million on SBC programs last year.
[ The SBC is $1.68 on this imaginary $42- energy bill (about five days of usage for the average NJ home owner). 4% on the nose. Atlantic City Electric defines the line as "Costs associated with state-mandated social programs". In other words, passing the cost of the Green initiatives on to you. Note the "Market Transition" line on this bill, that's "The costs associated with the transition to a competitive electric market". First Energy, however, defines it as "The provision of electricity to any consumer who has not or cannot choose an electric generation supplier for any reason". In other words: Welfare, paid directly by New Jersey's electrical consumers monthly. Note how this makes the state budget seem more balanced, since it's not a appropriation of taxpayer money - it's just forcing energy users to pay it out directly, under threat of having their power cut off. F*cking gangsters. ]
So the "Green revolution" in New Jersey is being funded by each and every homeowner and apartment dweller in the state. Thus it is no surprise that the Greenies are insatiably greedy, and that -
New Jersey’s electric ratepayers pay the fourth-highest retail power rates in the United States.
But that's A-OK with the Greenies, who mix a philosophy of reality and insanity to justify their robbery of Jersey's taxpayers:
But Matt Elliott, the clean energy advocate for Environment New Jersey, argues that a policy maintaining support for renewable energy “is definitely the way to go,” though he concedes renewables currently have a higher cost.
“But that’s primarily because we subsidized fossil fuels for years and years. We’re trying to create a whole new green energy market and that doesn’t happen overnight, though the cost of solar energy is dropping every year and we’ve had hundreds of green energy companies come to New Jersey and set up shop,” Elliott said.
“We’re driving toward the day when solar is as cheap as coal,” Elliott added.
Yes we are. And that day will be in five hundred years, even with the ongoing rape of the New Jersey taxpayer. Of course, if you told Elliot that perhaps the best way is to let the market work it's course, and that market driven in house research might best speed up the pace, he'd turn purple. Because there's no money in it for him that way...
The Sierra Club is flipping their lid as well:
The New Jersey Sierra Club’s Jeff Tittel said Christie is “gutting” environmental best practices by “scaling back renewable and clean energy targets in favor of expanding natural gas generation.”
“These cuts will cost the state green jobs. It sends the wrong message to companies that develop and promote clean energy. The message is to go to some other state,” Tittel said.
And personally, I'd like to see Jeff Tittel and Matt Elliot go up against Chris Christie, arguing why it is important for New Jerseyans to pay one of the highest utility rates in the nation in order to benefit their questionable ideology, and their business connections.
My guess" It would be like a antelope and a wilderbeast trying to talk a hungry lion out of eviscerating them....