POWER UP: Electric cars can get juice at a few spots in Beach Haven, including (above) on Taylor Avenue. Long Beach Township is preparing to have two units installed this week, one in Brant Beach and one in Holgate. (Photo by Ryan Morrill)
New Jersey has unveiled a statewide municipal ordinance that streamlines the local approval process for installing convenient and cost-effective charging infrastructure. The ordinance, which provides minimum requirements and consistent guidance for electrification, is the result of legislation signed by Gov. Phil Murphy in July, and is effective immediately in each of the state’s 565 municipalities.
Long Beach Island currently has just a handful of EV charging stations, including ChargePoint stations on Taylor Avenue and Engleside Avenue in Beach Haven and a Tesla Destination Charger at The Gables, on Centre Street in Beach Haven. A few additional stations are located nearby on the mainland.
This week, though, Long Beach Township is installing two new charging stations: one near town hall, at 6805 Long Beach Blvd. in Brant Beach, and one in the parking lot at the south end of Holgate. These stations are funded by a 2019 It Pay$ to Plug In grant from the state.
“We have been planning these for awhile but the project took some time with COVID, and getting the units,” said LBT Sustainability Director Angela Andersen. “We plan to have more in the coming years and will take advantage of any incentives that come along.”
New Jersey is confronting the climate crisis in part by decreasing emissions and enhancing the state’s resilience. “Reducing transportation emissions, which comprise more than 40% of the state’s climate pollution, is a key component of Gov. Murphy’s plan for achieving 100% clean energy by 2050,” the state Department of Environmental Protection explains. “The model ordinance … follows the Murphy administration’s investment of over $100 million in clean, equitable transportation, its proposal to limit emissions under the state’s Climate Pollutant Reduction rules and the launch of multiple electric vehicle incentive programs, including Charge Up New Jersey and NJZIP.”
The state’s efforts are underscored by President Biden’s issuance, earlier this month, of an executive order targeting car and truck emissions and requiring that half of all new vehicles sold in 2030 are electric. Biden also proposed new emissions standards to cut pollution through 2026.
Several sections of the ordinance, including requirements for municipal approvals and permits, EV-ready development and minimum parking requirements, are directives from the July law and cannot be altered. Other sections, specifically those related to health and safety factors – such as lighting and signage – provide minimum guidance for consistency, but allow for municipal modifications as needed. The statewide municipal ordinance will supersede requirements in communities with existing EV charging ordinances.
“The transportation sector is New Jersey’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, impacting air quality and generating more climate pollution,” said DEP Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette. “It is vital that we facilitate New Jersey’s rapid transition to an electric vehicle future, which will improve air quality, particularly in communities most overburdened by pollution, and reduce the harmful greenhouse gas emissions that continue fueling climate change.
“The steps we are taking … will move us closer to a clean energy future and help us to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.”
To learn more about the statewide EV municipal ordinance, visit nj.gov. —J.K.-H.