In response to recent clean energy commitments from Governor Janet Mills of Maine, Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey, and Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota, Evergreen Action State Program Director Justin Balik released the following statement:
“With unprecedented amounts of federal funding on the table for climate and clean energy projects, there’s never been a better time to accelerate your state’s clean energy transition. Governors Mills, Murphy, and Walz are taking swift and strategic action to ensure their states can take full advantage of federal investments and remain national leaders in the clean energy economy.
“By taking steps to speed up their transition to 100% clean electricity, Maine, Minnesota, and New Jersey are demonstrating how state climate leadership can be a powerful force multiplier for the climate pollution reductions and clean energy progress delivered by the IRA. It’s a win for America’s fight against climate change, a win for reliable affordable electricity, and a win for clean energy jobs. Governors and state legislators in other states should take note, or they’ll risk falling behind.”
In Powering Towards 100 Percent Clean Power By 2035, Evergreen called on state leaders to commit to accelerated clean electricity standards to help keep America’s climate targets within reach. Within the last two weeks, Governor Tim Walz signed legislation committing Minnesota to 100% clean energy by 2040, Governor Janet Mills announced that she has directed her energy office to draft legislation requiring Maine to move to 100% clean electricity by 2040, and Governor Phil Murphy announced a new executive order that will set a target of 100% clean electricity by 2035 in New Jersey.