Roughly one-third of the pollutants in New Jersey’s air float across our borders from other states, thanks mostly to the aging fleet of dirty coal plants in the Midwest.
President Obama has promised to force a cleanup during his second term. And on Friday he made his first big move by effectively banning the construction of new coal plants until technological breakthroughs allow for the capture and burial of carbon emissions.
This won’t have a huge impact right away because only a handful of new coal plants are in the works, thanks to the drop in prices for natural gas. But the next step is to force existing coal plants to reduce their emissions. And that could be a game-changer.
Forcing this type of cleanup has long been a goal of governors in the Northeast, both Republican and Democrat. The pollution floating our way not only causes lung diseases and premature death, it forces Northeast states to install costly anti-pollution devices on their power plants to compensate. And of course, the coal plants are a nightmare on the climate front, producing roughly twice the carbon emissions as natural gas.
Given all this, it is appalling that Gov. Chris Christie has sounded a retreat in this fight. His rhetoric has been incoherent. One day he says climate change is a real problem, and the next he calls it an “esoteric concern.” But when you look at his actions, he is a dependable friend of the coal industry almost every time. Let’s look at the record.
He withdrew New Jersey from the regional agreement on climate change, which required power producers to purchase credits for every ton of carbon they release, with a cap on overall emissions. The revenue is then devoted to green energy projects. So far, New York state has brought in $345 million through these credit sales, most of it now devoted to energy conservation programs, including help for homeowners.
Christie broke from other Northeast states by refusing to join a lawsuit in defense of the EPA’s cross-state rules. Those rules would have required the Midwest plants to install scrubbers and other equipment designed to filter traditional pollutants that cause smog and ozone.
He has raided nearly $1 billion during his first term from funds earmarked for green energy projects. That’s a staggering sum, and it comes mostly from surcharges on electricity bills. It’s a regressive way to raise money, and it has sabotaged clean-energy efforts across the state. But the gimmick allows the governor to protect his pledge against raising taxes.
The governor is a friend of the coal industry, despite the tangible damage to the public health in New Jersey.
A spokesman for the administration said Christie supports Obama’s move Friday. And on the plus side, the governor did pursue a lawsuit that will force the closure of the Portland Generating Station, across the Delaware River from Warren County.
But the larger picture is clear: The governor is a friend of the coal industry, despite the tangible damage to the public health in New Jersey, and to the overall problem of climate change.
Those are facts. And there is nothing “esoteric” about them.
COAL'S DWINDLING ROLE
The United States has the world’s largest reserves of coal, enough to last 200 years at current rates. But with prices for natural gas dropping, the use of coal is dropping sharply.
Portion of U.S. electricity generated with coal:
In 2007: 50 percent
In 2012: 37 percent
In 2007: 50 percent
In 2012: 37 percent
Source: United States Energy Information Administration
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