Sponsored by:
Assemblyman JOHN F. MCKEON
District 27 (Essex and Morris)
SYNOPSIS
Permits municipalities to prohibit gas connections in new construction.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act permitting municipalities to prohibit gas connections in new construction and supplementing P.L.1975, c.217 (C.52:27D-119 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. A municipality may by ordinance provide that a construction permit shall not issue for any structure or building to be newly constructed within the municipality unless the structure or building is constructed without any natural gas connection.
b. An ordinance adopted pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall require a construction permit application for a new structure or building to contain plans for the structure or building to be powered by a source of energy other than natural gas.
c. The commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations pursuant to its rule-making authority under the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.) in order to effectuate the purposes of this section.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would allow municipalities to prohibit gas connections in new structures and buildings. Electric power, the primary energy alternative to natural gas, is becoming a cleaner source of energy, contributing fewer carbon emissions that cause climate change. This bill would give municipalities the flexibility to promote cleaner energy sources, and help combat climate change, by prohibiting new construction that uses natural gas as an energy source.