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Jan 25, 2024

Regulation that would force schools to spend millions on electric boilers slapped by fuel merchants group

By David Wildstein, September 19 2022 11:18 am More than 1,500 local

By David Wildstein, September 19 2022 11:18 am

More than 1,500 local schools in New Jersey may be forced to spend tens of millions to convert their boilers from gas to electric after Gov. Phil Murphy's new Energy Master Plan goes into effect on December 6, but it's not clear that the financial impact of the new regulation has filtered down to the municipal level.

"Residents of Cliffside Park, Marlboro, Metuchen, Randolph, Scotch Plains-Fanwood, and West Orange can be extremely proud their schools were designated National Blue Ribbon schools last week," said Fuel Merchants of New Jersey executive vice president Eric DeGesaro. "What they probably don't know is that these same schools are about to be hit with a huge bill to convert their boilers to electric heat under Governor Murphy's Energy Master Plan NJDEP regulations which take effect on December 6.

According to DeGesaro, the cost of converting one school from gas to electric will run about $2 million, and that heating costs will be about four or five times higher.

"If you think your property tax and energy bills are high now, just wait until Governor Murphy's electrification plan takes effect," he said. "The millions of dollars that will be expended for a mandate that the legislature has never authorized will be an anchor around the checkbooks of all New Jerseyans.

DeGesaro pointed to Bernards Township, where Murphy announced his ANCHOR property tax relief plan, as a place where local taxpayers face a potential $8 million expenditure without any legislative approval.