Ringwood Manor State Park

Annual Report A look back at our work together in fiscal year 2016 Our members make the difference

None of our work would be possible if it were not for the passion, energy and support of concerned citizens across . Together, we’re doing big things.

At several points over the last year, I was reminded how rewarding and fulfilling this work can be, thanks to the passion and drive of our members and supporters like you, the hard work of our staff, and the collaboration between our partner groups. Together, we’re doing big things. You helped Environment New Jersey show our leaders that the Clean Power Plan is essential to reducing emissions and protecting children growing up today. Carli Jensen You helped spread the word and build support across the country with Environment New Jersey Campaign Director for saving bees and our food supply, and with Environment New Jersey Research & Policy Center for leaving dirty energy behind in favor of moving to 100 percent renewable sources that are good for the environment and good for business. You took part in defending our right to clean water after the tragedy in Flint, Mich., and alerted the nation about the many threats to our drinking water across the country. And you helped Environment New Jersey protect America’s beloved special places by speaking up for our most important conservation programs and advocating for more national monuments to protect places John Rumpler like the Grand Canyon. Senior Attorney As you read through this report, remember that while our staff might be in the room when a big environmental victory is won, none of our work would be possible if it were not for the passion, energy and support of millions of concerned citizens. And as critical as this people power was to our victories last year, I can guarantee that this year—with a new president, new Congress, and more challenges to overcome—the same will be true. Thank you for all you’ve done to make this past year successful, and here’s to many more Stephanie Wein to come. Development Associate Sincerely,

Doug O’Malley Margie Alt Environment New Jersey Director Environment America Executive Director

Environment New Jersey, Inc. is a project of Environment America, Inc. Protect Our Coasts

We made our voices heard when Environment New Jersey helped deliver more than 2 million comments against offshore drilling to the Obama administration last year. And it worked! In March, the administration announced that drilling off the southern Atlantic coast would be off limits until 2022. Now we are working to make this ban permanent and prevent offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and the Arctic as well.

You helped protect the Atlantic coast from drilling Drilling has been absent in the Atlantic for more than 30 years—and for good reason. A BP-like oil spill would be devastating to our coastal communities and wildlife like right whales, sea turtles and dolphins; not to mention our thriving tourism and fishing industries that contribute more than $38 billion in total economic activity annually.

When the Obama administration annouced plans to open up the Atlantic coast to drilling, our national coalition sprung into action. In a letter to the Obama administration, more than 1,000 coastal businesses signed on in opposition to drilling in the Atlantic. This, coupled with support from Sen. Bob Menendez, Sen. Cory Booker and Rep. Frank Pauline, we helped lead a clear call on the White House to eliminate Atlantic coast drilling from their proposed plan.

There is still work left to do in the Arctic and Gulf In July, more than 5,600 members of Environment New Jersey, Top: The BP oil spill has continued to Friends of the Earth and National Resource Defense Council devastate coastal communities and called the White House to demand that the president stop wildlife since 2010. new offshore drilling plans in the Arctic and the Gulf as well. Bottom: Offshore drilling threatens The time to stop offshore drilling and other forms of fossil fuel thousands of marine species, such as extraction is now. With your support, we can make our coasts the green sea turtle. and communities cleaner and safer for our families.

Photo credits: (cover) MFS Photography/Shutterstock (page 1-2 top) Alexander Image/Shutterstock (inset, top to bottom) Slick-o-bot via Wikimedia, Public Domain; idreamphoto/Shutterstock Environment New Jersey | 2 Offshore Wind for New Jersey

New Jersey’s offshore wind potential has grown drastically within the past year and interest from major wind companies has followed. Drawing attention to New Jersey’s possibilities is not only good for residents and their energy bills, but would push the state to the lead for 100 percent renewable energy. With support from members like you, we can keep up the momentum as Environment New Jersey and Environment New Jersey Research & Policy Center work toward a sustainable future for New Jerseyans.

Environment New Jersey staff met with Congressman Norcross (right) The Block Island opened in July 2016 off the coast of Rhode about the Clean Power Plan and Clean Water Rule at a Lobby Day in Island and is the first offshore wind operation in the U.S. Washington, D.C. in July 2015. Offshore wind gets a lift in New Jersey New Jersey is a hidden treasure when it comes to offshore wind, and this past year we finally managed to entice major wind companies to take a deeper look. The Department of the Interior completed its first ever auction of wind energy areas off the and awarded two locations, representing 344,000 acres for offshore wind leasing, to RES Americas and U.S. Wind Inc. Strong demand for offshore wind in New Jersey Although there has been steady inaction from the Christie administration, Environment New Jersey has not held back in pushing offshore wind for the state. State and federal officials have already designated more than 1.5 million acres off the Atlantic coast for wind power development. What’s more exciting is that these areas could produce more than 16,000 megawatts (MW)—including more than 3,400 MW for More than New Jersey alone—of virtually pollution-free electricity.

According to an Environment New Jersey Research & Policy 1.5 million Center report, “Turning To The Wind,” potential for offshore wind acres off the Atlantic power production is highest off the Jersey Shore. In addition, the report shows that carbon pollution equal to the emissions from 2 coast have been million cars per year could be entirely eliminated by 2020 with the designated for wind expansion of wind power in New Jersey. power developement You can push Gov. Christie to keep his promises on wind power That area could Environmental organizations and wind power advocates have taken produce more than on Gov. Christie’s slow reaction to the benefits of wind energy by calling on the legislature to make serious changes to their position on offshore wind. 16,000 With the right policies in place, wind energy could power more megawatts than half a million homes and eliminate more than 5 million metric of power tons of carbon pollution. With your help, we encouraged fellow New Jerseyans to join us in recognizing the potential for a virtually pollution-free electricity system. including more than Now it’s time for our leaders in Trenton to step up to the plate. In May, Gov. vetoed legislation to require the Board of Public Utilities to provide a 30-day window for applications for a 3,400 wind project off the Atlantic City shore. This veto sets New Jersey back in becoming the off-shore wind leader it could be, and delays megawatts projects like this one that has the potential to be the state’s first just for major offshore wind farm. Regardless, we will continue to fight for offshore wind, and with our members backing us up, we’ll get New New Jersey Jersey on track to become a leader again.

Photo credits: (left page, clockwise from top) Courtesy of Deepwater Wind; Staff; Courtesy of Deepwater Wind Environment New Jersey | 4 RENEWABLE ENERGY

All In For 100% Renewable

We can have healthier communities and a better future for our children, but to get there, we need to transform the way we produce and consume energy. That’s why Environment New Jersey Research & Policy Center is calling for a nationwide commitment to 100 percent renewable power. It’s a big, bold goal—one that would make America a world leader in the race toward a cleaner, healthier future—and it’s a goal that’s 100 percent possible.

In April, Environment New Jersey Research & Policy Center and our Our citizen outreach staff distributed information about how America sister groups in other states released “Shining Cities,” which shows can transition to 100 percent renewable energy to more than 1.3 how smart local policies are expanding solar in America. million households. 100% renewable is 100% possible To avoid the worst impacts of climate change, we must avoid burning a majority of the world’s fossil fuel reserves and instead transition to 100 percent renewable energy. David Freeman, a longtime utility CEO who joined Environment America Research & Policy Center and Frontier Group for an online presentation and discussion of their report, “We Have the Power” said, “We’ve been told by the family doctor, the climatologist, that we have to reduce greenhouse gases to near zero in the next 35 years, or we’re going to cook.”

And why would we wait? We can have a cleaner, healthier planet for children growing up today, and we already have the resources and ability to shift to 100 percent renewable energy right now. Almost all new energy capacity is coming from renewables Solar power has tripled in America in just the last two years—with a new home or business going solar every one and a half minutes. In many states, wind power is now cheaper than gas or coal—in fact, we celebrated our nation’s first offshore wind farm off the Rhode Island coast last summer. Even better, 98.6 percent of all new energy capacity brought online in the first quarter of 2016 came from renewable energy.

More than 19 cities, counties and states, and dozens of major companies like Apple, Johnson & Johnson and Google have already made commitments to 100 percent renewable energy. Clean energy is not only good for our communities and our planet, it’s also becoming cheaper and therefore, better for business. The bottom line: 100 percent renewable energy is 100 percent possible. Educating 1.3 million clean energy activists Environment New Jersey Research & Policy Center spent last year helping to distribute this information to more than 1.3 million households across America. Transitioning to 100 percent renewable energy will mean taking on some of the most powerful corporations in the world, and to win, we’re going to need a whole lot of well-informed people behind us.

It’s time to sweep past the big energy interests—from Big Oil and gas companies like ExxonMobil and Chevron to utilities like Duke Energy and Pacific Gas & Electric, from climate deniers in Congress to the Koch brothers— that are not only standing in the way, but using their financial might and political clout to roll back renewable energy’s progress.

That’s where you, our members and supporters, come in. The more people who join our call for 100 percent renewable power, the more local, state, national and corporate leaders will step up and take action. Visit our website to learn more and join the call: www.EnvironmentNewJerseyCenter.org

Wind power is growing Solar energy is booming fast in America. across the country. 100% renewable energy

= 1 million U.S. homes The United States now has more than Between 1954 and 2016, the United States is 100% 70 gigawatts of generating capacity installed one million solar projects. Solar from wind power, enough to power is growing so fast now that we’ll double possible about 19 million homes. that number in only two years.

Photo credits: (left page, clockwise from top) Austin McKinley via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0; Suzannah Hoover Photography; Erick Frost Environment New Jersey | 6 Solar For All

Powering communities with clean, renewable and local energy will be a game changer not only for New Jersey but for our country as a whole. Today, hundreds of thousands of Americans have gone solar and millions more are ready to jump on board. Environment New Jersey and Environment New Jersey Research & Policy Center have the tools to go big with solar this year, with plans to urge mayors, governors and others to set the bar high.

New Jersey shows off rays in solar report So far we’ve been proud to see Newark rank as a top city per capita for solar in the Northeast, following sunny cities like Los Angeles, San Diego, and Phoenix. According to “Shining Cities,” a report from Environment New Jersey Research & Policy Center, Newark has ranked 16th among dozens of metropolitan areas analyzed.

With Newark as a clear leader in the rise of solar throughout New Jersey, other cities like Elizabeth, Jersey City, Perth Amboy, Clifton, Trenton, Bayonne, New Brunswick, Camden and Paterson complete the list for top solar cities in New Jersey. Energy bill decreases for residents as well as a clear increase in public concern over global warming and energy independence have boosted the rapid installation of solar projects throughout New Jersey. Going big on solar with new campaign With solar energy on the rise in New Jersey and across the country, Environment New Jersey announced the launch of a push to get Top: Environment New Jersey cities and local governments to make sizable commitments to Research & Policy Center Director capturing the power of the sun. The Shining Cities campaign Doug O’Malley releases the will engage and mobilize thousands of members, volunteers and “Shining Cities” report in Newark in the growing ranks of stakeholders who recognize the tremendous November 2015. environmental and economic benefits of expanding their use of Bottom: An array of solar panels pollution-free solar power. With help from members like you, we covers a New Jersey Institute of want to get at least 20 local governments to embrace big solar Technology rooftop in Newark. targets by the end of 2017. Environment New Jersey Non profit Org 104 Bayard St., 6th Fl. U.S. Postage New Brunswick, NJ 08901 PAID (609) 392-5151 Brockton, MA Permit No. 430 Address Service Requested