New Jersey § 52:27d-141

§ 52:27d-141.

The Legislature finds and declares that: a. New Jersey residents primarily rely on fossil fuels for their energy needs; b. Fossil fuels are nonrenewable fuels since they are derived from finite resources

that will inevitably dwindle over time, becoming too expensive or too environmentally

damaging to extract; c. Unlike fossil fuels, renewable energy sources have minimal environmental impact

since, for example, energy produced from photovoltaic cells does not result in air

or water pollution, deplete natural resources, or endanger animal and human health; d. The use of renewable energy equipment also reduces the nation's dependency on foreign

sources of energy, which is an important strategy in the process of creating a secure

and sustainable energy future; e. The use of renewable energy technology would benefit New Jersey's economy since

jobs evolve directly from the manufacture, design, installation, service and repair,

and marketing of renewable energy products; f. The State has adopted a renewable energy portfolio standard that requires twenty

percent of the State's electricity demand to be produced from renewable sources by

the year 2020, and requires a specific percentage of these renewable energy sources

to be from solar photovoltaic systems; g. Generating electricity from solar energy reduces consumption of fossil fuels, which

decreases pollution and greenhouse gas emissions; and h. The installation of even small scale solar energy systems will combat global warming

and reduce the nation's dependence on foreign energy sources, resulting in a significant

environmental benefit.