$100M Investment in Green Transportation Projects

By Jim Pytell, Managing Editor On Feb 16, 2021

Gov. Phil Murphy today announced a more than $100 million investment into clean transportation projects, which he said will prioritize job creation and economic development with a specific focus on environmental justice communities.

“These projects, which range from electric school buses and garbage trucks and e-mobility projects, to port and cargo handling equipment and investment in the electrification of NJ Transit buses, show the sheer breadth of transformation ahead of us,” Murphy said.

The governor made the announcement in Newark, which he said is one of the communities that suffers from a disproportionate amount of emissions and pollution, and will be one of the beneficiaries of the investment and projects.

“We continue to plant the seeds of change through today’s investments. We are awarding more than $1 million to electric garbage trucks, close to $2 million for charging stations for electric rideshare vehicles, and more than $7 million for medium and heavy duty cargo handling equipment – and that is just in Newark alone,” Murphy said.

According to Murphy, the investment money for today’s announcement comes from proceeds from New Jersey’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), which raised $94 million this past year, as well as from the Volkswagen Mitigation Trust Funds, which have made an additional $45 million available to the state.

Other projects that the more than $100 million investment will fund include:

• $9 million in grants for local government electrification projects that will help to improve air quality in environmental justice communities through the deployment of electric garbage and delivery trucks
• $13 million in grants for low- and moderate-income communities to reduce emissions that affect our children’s air quality through the deployment of electric school buses and shuttle buses
• $5 million in grants for equitable mobility projects that will bring electric vehicle ride hailing and charging stations to four New Jersey towns and cities
• $5 million in grants for deployment of fast charging infrastructure at 27 locations statewide
• $36 million to reduce diesel and black carbon emissions in environmental justice communities by electrifying port, cargo handling, and other medium- and heavy-duty equipment in port and industrial areas
  • $15 million towards NJ TRANSIT bus electrification
  • $15 million towards flex funding to further deploy additional funding to the listed initiatives

Office of Climate Action and the Green Economy

Murphy also signed Executive Order No. 221 today, which establishes the Office of Climate Action and the Green Economy. According to officials, the office will focus on addressing climate change, ensuring New Jersey’s clean energy future, and transitioning to a green economy while prioritizing equity and environmental justice. Jane Cohen, senior policy advisor to the governor on environment and energy, will lead the office as its executive director.

The Office of Climate Action and the Green Economy will oversee the creation of the New Jersey Council on the Green Economy. Led by First Lady Tammy Murphy, who will serve as honorary chair, the council will be co-chaired by the Commissioner of Labor, Commissioner of Environmental Protection, and the President of the Board of Public Utilities. Members of the council will include representatives from other state departments, as well representatives from chambers of commerce, organized labor, industry, utilities, green business, environmental justice communities, academia, small business, workforce development, and environmental advocacy.

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