Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman DAWN FANTASIA
District 24 (Morris, Sussex and Warren)
SYNOPSIS
“Affordable Home Energy Protection Act”; prohibits adoption of State or local rules that restrict use of certain fossil-fuel powered appliances or heating systems.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the use of fossil-fuel powered appliances and heating systems and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the “Affordable Home Energy Protection Act.”
2. a. The Legislature finds and declares that:
(1) New Jersey residents should have the right to choose how they heat and power their homes, without being forced into costly retrofits or all-electric mandates that may not be affordable or practical;
(2) the electrification of home appliances and heating systems may benefit some households but may also increase costs, strain electric infrastructure, and disproportionately impact low- and moderate-income residents, particularly those residing in older homes; and
(3) several municipalities and states have, without adequate consideration of cost, feasibility, or consumer preference, attempted to ban or restrict natural gas hookups or combustion-based appliances in new construction or renovations.
b. The Legislature therefore determines that it is in the public interest to protect energy choice in residential and commercial buildings across New Jersey and ensure that no resident is forced to bear the financial burden of government-imposed energy mandates.
3. a. Notwithstanding the provisions of any law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, no State agency or local government shall adopt any rule, regulation, ordinance, or other measure that:
(1) prohibits or unduly restricts the installation, connection, or use of appliances or heating systems powered by natural gas, propane, or fuel oil in residential or commercial buildings; or
(2) requires a property owner to remove a functioning combustion-based appliance or heating system or replace a functioning combustion-based appliance or heating system with an electric alternative.
b. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit:
(1) a property owner from voluntarily installing an electric appliance or heating system;
(2) the State or a local government from offering incentives or rebates to support energy-efficient technologies; or
(3) the State or a local government from issuing an emergency safety order restricting the use of a combustion-based appliance or heating system, in a case where the appliance or heating system is demonstrably unsafe to operate.
4. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill, to be known as the “Affordable Home Energy Protection Act,” would prevent State agencies and local governments from adopting any rule, regulation, ordinance or other measure that: (1) prohibits or unduly restricts the installation, connection, or use of appliances or heating systems powered by natural gas, propane, or fuel oil in residential or commercial buildings; or (2) requires a property owner to remove a functioning combustion-based appliance or heating system or replace a functioning combustion-based appliance or heating system with an electric alternative.