Press Releases
September 4, 2007
NJ Chamber of Commerce Joins Affordable, Clean, Reliable Energy Coalition
The 2,000 member New Jersey Chamber of Commerce has joined the recently formed Affordable, Clean, Reliable Energy Coalition (NJ ACRE) in its mission to raise public awareness of the urgent need to balance the state's increasing demand for electricity while protecting the environment.
Dr. Edward Salmon, Chairman of NJ ACRE, thanked the Chamber members and their leadership for the vote of confidence, citing it as proof of the growing statewide support for NJ ACRE's mission of promoting clean, affordable, reusable energy – including nuclear energy – to meet New Jersey's growing energy demand.
"Speaking with one voice, we can better fulfill our goal of educating the public about the benefits of Oyster Creek and the important role that greenhouse gas emission-free nuclear power plays in meeting New Jersey's electricity needs and, at the same time, keeping our air clean," Dr. Salmon said.
The Trenton-based Chamber, founded in 1911, represents businesses – from Fortune 500 companies to mom-and-pop establishments – on a range of business issues in Washington, DC, across the state, and at the local level.
"While the NJ Chamber of Commerce recognizes and advocates renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, we believe it will not be enough to meet the growing energy demands predicted for our state in outlying years," said Michael Egenton, the Chamber's vice president for environment and transportation. "We encourage state policy makers to strongly consider nuclear and LNG as clean, affordable and reliable sources of energy."
The Coalition membership, which continues to grow, consists of local and state-wide leaders and leadership organizations representing the environmental, business, labor, academic, health, and civic communities. A partial list of current members includes:
- • New Jersey Chamber of Commerce
- • Commerce & Industry Association of NJ
- • Chemistry Council of NJ
- • African American Environmentalist Association
- • NJ Alliance for Action
- • Southern NJ Developmental Council
- • International Union of Painters & Allied Trades
- • Plumbers and Pipefitters (Union Local 322 and Local 9)
- • NJ Business & Industry Association
- • Fish Hawks (Lacey Township-based organization).
The Coalition also includes distinguished New Jerseyans such as:
- • The Honorable Jeremiah O'Connor (former State Senator and former New Jersey BPU Commissioner)
- • The Honorable Connie Hughes (former New Jersey BPU Commissioner)
- • The Honorable Carol Murphy (former New Jersey State Legislator & former New Jersey BPU Commissioner)
- • Dr. Fred Abbate (past Executive Director of the New Jersey Utilities Association)
- • William Young (Former Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy in the U.S. Department of Energy)
- • The Honorable Brian A. Reid (Mayor of Lacey Township).
####
The mission of the NJ Energy Coalition is to generate public support for the production and delivery of affordable, clean, reliable, American energy to help meet New Jersey's growing energy needs. The Coalition seeks to achieve this goal through increasing the public's awareness of the need to keep existing clean energy providers operational, to develop new affordable clean sources of in-state generation and to maintain a suitable transmission and distribution infrastructure for delivering electricity to our citizens.
For more information, please contact:
Bob Marshall
Phone:856-308-3656
bmarshall@njenergycoalition.org