Two topics that always seem to impact the bottom line—healthcare and energy—will be the focus of separate NJBIA policy committee meetings next week.
NJBIA is bringing in members of Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration and other government leaders so members will be able to get answers to questions on the state’s Energy Master Plan (EMP) and the new state-based health insurance exchange.
On Thursday, NJBIA Vice President for Government Affairs Ray Cantor will moderate a discussion on the Energy Master Plan and the Protecting Against Climate Threat (PACT) executive order with:
- New Jersey Board of Public Utilities Commissioner Robert M. Gordon
- Assemblyman Wayne DeAngelo, chairman of the Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities Committee; and
- Shawn LaTourette, chief of staff at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
The 290-page Energy Master Plan (EMP), unveiled by Murphy less than three weeks ago, aims to make New Jersey 100% clean energy by 2050.
Executive Order No. 100 commits the state to regulating development under PACT rules. The regulations will create standards for emissions and require potential climate change impacts caused by any proposed project be taken into account before any new permits are considered.
“If a proposed project does not align with our broader efforts to combat climate change … it will either need to be amended, or if it is not, it will not be approved,” Murphy said.
Of particular concern to the business community is the cost impacts of the plan. Cantor and what is expected to be an overflow crowd will be looking for answers on Thursday.
On Friday, the Health Affairs Policy Committee, led by NJBIA Chief Government Affairs Officer Chrissy Buteas, will host Justin Zimmerman, chief of staff at the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance, who will discuss the implementation of the State Based Health Insurance Exchange.
The Murphy administration is trying to preserve the good parts of the federal Affordable Care Act by launching its own ACA-style marketplace. Given the high cost of health insurance and the problems it causes for businesses nationwide, the stakes on getting this right could not be higher.
