WASHINGTON, D.C.—With unprecedented heat waves hitting earlier and earlier for New Jersey residents, many folks have debilitating heat and soaring energy costs on their minds.

For Fair Haven and Colts Neck residents Ted Wardell and Cindy Rubin there’s an obvious solution—New Jersey Congressional delegation must push for more efficient, renewable energy, proven to lower energy costs.

On July 22, members from CCL-Lincroft met with several offices to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., Senator Booker, Senator Kim, Rep Smith NJ-04, Rep Pallone NJ-11, Rep Kean NJ-07 to urge them to support the energy solutions their constituents want. They will join hundreds of Citizens’ Climate Lobby volunteers from around the country asking Congress to support clean energy.

Sixty-three percent of Americans polled in December 2024 by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication stated that developing clean energy sources should be a high or very high priority for the President and Congress. New Jersey’s commitment to  clean energy solutions like solar is indicated by Statista which reports New Jersey outpacing the U.S. average’s share of solar in electricity generation in 2023.

Yet, on July 3, Congress passed legislation that hinders clean energy. Provisions in the bill phase out popular clean energy tax credits that have worked well for New Jersey. The Inflation Reduction Act has created 1,327 jobs in New Jersey alone. Over 1,000 of these jobs are in Congressman Van Drew’s district NJ-02

Concerningly, around $15.5 billion in new factories and electricity projects had already been canceled nationwide since January due to the uncertain state of federal policy. Now, Energy Innovation Policy & Technology predicts New Jersey is on course for significant economic damage with the loss of the credits, including lost jobs, lost GDP, and higher consumer costs.

“The reconciliation bill went too far in cutting clean energy tax credits,” said Ted Wardell. “When we were in D.C., we were urging our members of Congress to find consensus across the aisle for bipartisan policy that ensures Americans have abundant, affordable clean energy.”

Citizens’ Climate Lobby is a nonpartisan, nonprofit grassroots organization that brings together volunteers from across the political spectrum to advocate for legislation to help solve climate change. Volunteers meet regularly with their members of Congress to ask them to support federal policy to lower the heat-trapping emissions altering and polluting our climate.