26:2C-42 Evaluation of policies and measures; reports.

6. a. The department, in consultation with the Board of Public Utilities, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Transportation, and the Department of Community Affairs, shall evaluate policies and measures that will enable the State to achieve the 2020 limit, shall make specific recommendations on how to achieve the emission reduction targets, including measures that reduce emissions in all sectors of the economy including transportation, housing, and consumer products, and shall evaluate the economic benefits and costs of implementing these recommendations. The department shall coordinate its evaluation of greenhouse gas emission reduction policies and measures with the work of the Energy Master Plan Committee established pursuant to section 12 of P.L.1977, c.146 (C.52:27F-14).

b. No later than June 30, 2008, the department, and any other State agencies, as appropriate, shall prepare a report recommending the measures necessary to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to achieve the 2020 limit. The report shall include specific recommendations for legislative and regulatory action that will be necessary to achieve the 2020 limit. The report shall be transmitted to the Governor, to the State Treasurer, to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1) and to the members of the Senate Environment Committee and the Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee.

c. No later than one year after the effective date of P.L.2019, c.197, the department, in consultation with the Board of Public Utilities and any other State agencies, as appropriate, shall prepare a report recommending the measures necessary to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including short-lived climate pollutants, to achieve the 2050 limit. The report shall include specific recommendations for legislative and regulatory action that will be necessary to achieve the 2050 limit and any established interim benchmarks. The report shall also include recommendations for additional policies and measures that will be required if the State is otherwise expected to exceed the 2020 limit and any additional measures that will be required to meet the 2050 limit. The report shall be transmitted to the Governor, to the State Treasurer, to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1) and to the members of the Senate Environment Committee and the Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee.

d. The Energy Master Plan Committee shall include in its adoption of the first update of the energy master plan completed after the date of enactment of P.L.2007, c.112 (C.26:2C-37 et al.), a list of recommended policies and measures to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases from the production, processing, distribution, transmission, storage, or use of energy that will contribute to achieving the 2020 limit.

e. Nothing in P.L.2007, c.112 (C.26:2C-37 et al.) shall impose any limit on the existing authority of the department, the Board of Public Utilities, or any other State department or agency to limit or regulate greenhouse gas emissions pursuant to law.

L.2007, c.112, s.6; amended 2019, c.197, s.4.