Statement

Clean Energy Raids Threaten Long-Term Affordability

Clean energy funds must be used for their intended purpose of paying for sustainable energy infrastructure to bring down costs long term.

By

Published on Jun 29, 2026 in Climate

Last night, the Senate and Assembly budget committees approved more than $500 million in raids from the Global Warming Solutions Fund, funded by Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), to be used for ratepayer relief.

For more on RGGI and the state’s history of raiding funds for ratepayer relief, see New Jersey’s Clean Energy Funds: What They Are and Why They Matter.

In response, NJPP issues the following statement:

Alex Ambrose, Senior Policy Analyst, NJPP:

“Diverting money out of the clean energy funds to pay for short-term solutions won’t do anything for long-term affordability. RGGI must be used for what it’s meant to be used for: solutions like energy efficiency and energy storage, which will bring down costs for everyone. New Jersey has raided these funds before and, every time it does, it delays the investments that would actually make energy affordable in the long term.”

###

Author

  • Alex Ambrose, Policy Analyst, researches policies with a focus on climate justice and transportation.

    Prior to NJPP, Alex served as Policy Associate at the Association of NJ Environmental Commissions (ANJEC) and Policy Assistant at New Jersey League of Conservation Voters (NJLCV). In those roles, she worked on policy and legislation to protect clean water, preserve open space, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions with an emphasis on equity. Most recently, she worked to pass plastic pollution legislation including the statewide single-use bag ban.

    Alex currently serves as the Chair of Clinton Township Environmental Commission and is pursuing her Master's in Public Administration at Rutgers University. She received her Bachelor of Science in Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources from Rutgers University with a minor in Environmental Geomatics.

    Email: ambrose@njpp.org |
    Follow Alex on Twitter
Donate Now

Like this publication?

Please consider supporting NJPP.

Your support powers the research, communications, and partnership building necessary to make policy work for people, so every New Jerseyan can achieve their goal for a healthy and vibrant life.