Gov. Christie’s plan to emphasize natural gas, nuclear power may undercut solar energy market

TRENTON — Environmentalists this afternoon set the table for hearings on Gov. Chris Christie’s road map for New Jersey’s energy future by reiterating that the plan will jeopardize the growing strength of the state’s green economy.

Christie last month unveiled his draft Energy Master Plan, which scaled back the state’s goal to bolster renewable sources like solar energy and put a greater emphasis on new natural gas and nuclear power. The governor called the plan “realistic and achievable.”

Green advocates, however, fear the plan will undercut the growing market for solar energy and the jobs the industry has created. New Jersey ranked eighth among the 50 states for green jobs in 2010, according to a recent report by the Brookings Institute.

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