SENATE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 3737

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JANUARY 13, 2025

      The Senate Environment and Energy Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 3737.

      As amended by the committee, this bill would make various changes to the statutory requirements governing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions monitoring and reporting activities, including those carried out by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Board of Public Utilities (BPU).

     Specifically, the bill would:

     (1)  add a definition for "indirect GHG" to include nitrogen oxides, hydrogen, and any other gas or substance determined by the DEP to be an indirect contributor to the problem of global warming;

     (2)  clarify that the for the purposes of GHG emission monitoring and reporting pursuant to the "Global Warming Response Act," P.L.2007, c.112 (C.26:2C-37 et al.), the term “GHG” would also include indirect GHG;

     (3)  require the DEP to provide the global warming potential of the GHG emissions from each significant source of GHG emissions in the State, calculated using a 20-year time horizon;

     (4)  require annual GHG reports produced by the DEP to be published no later than six months after the end of the calendar year for which they provide data;

     (5)  require the DEP to monitor progress toward the 2030 objective for GHG emissions, established by Governor Murphy in Executive Order No. 274 of 2021;

     (6)  require significant emitters of indirect GHG emissions to report their emissions to the DEP;

     (7)  require the DEP to enter into a contract with a provider of satellite GHG emissions data, in order to facilitate the DEP's production of GHG emissions reports;

     (8)  clarify that the DEP, and other State agencies if required by federal law or international treaty, may state global warming potentials calculated using a 100-year time horizon, provided that the potentials are also stated in terms of a 20-year time horizon,

     (9)  expand the requirement in existing law for State agencies to use a 20-year time horizon for global warming potentials to include any study, assessment, regulation, or incentive that is conducted by, supported by, or produced for any State agency; and

     (10)  require any study, assessment, regulation, or incentive that is developed by a State agency and is related to GHG emissions to include methane and nitrous oxide emissions, and fugitive emissions and leakages.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

     The committee amendments to the bill would:

     (1)  add a definition for the term “indirect greenhouse gas” to include nitrogen oxides, hydrogen, and any other gas or substance determined by the DEP to be an indirect contributor to the problem of global warming;

     (2)  clarify that the for the purposes of GHG emission monitoring and reporting pursuant to the "Global Warming Response Act," P.L.2007, c.112 (C.26:2C-37 et al.), the term “GHG” would also include indirect GHG; and

     (3)  make technical and clarifying changes.