Not only does he want to change the way we get our energy, with plans to expand off-shore wind farms, but he also wants to change the way we consume energy. "More than 40% of our fossil fuel emissions come from one single sector: transportation. And mostly from our cars," he said. "This contributes to our having among the worst air pollution of any state, a distinction I am committed to changing."
Right now, there are about 6,600 electric vehicles in New Jersey. Murphy wants to boost that number to 330,000 by 2025 and 2 million by 2035, so he's offering up to $5,000 in rebates for people who buy one.
"We need programs in place to make these cars more appealing to more consumers," Murphy said. "Part of this is to bring down price points and put electric vehicles within the reach of more families."
The bill he signed this week would also give $500 to people installing charging stations at their house. "We rank seventh in the nation for the number of EVs on our roads," he explained. "But last in the number of charging outlets per vehicle."
Murphy said people who live in urban communities have more lung issues like asthma than others, which he blames on pollution. "We can't undo a half century of planning, but we can adapt to lessen its enviornmental impacts," he said.