A group of 36 environmental, labor, religious, community and citizen groups met Friday morning to work to reduce climate impacts and greenhouse gases. On June 25, they will hold a Lobby Day and Rally at the State House in Trenton.

“We are in a battle for the future of our state, our nation, and our planet. This battle has come together in New Jersey in a fight for clean energy over dirty fossil fuels. People from all over the state are fighting one project after another. The enemy is not just dangerous trains or pipelines destroying open space, but frackers and drillers, dirty fuels. That is why we need to push to make New Jersey a leader again in clean, renewable energy. That is why we must end this addiction to carbon and transition to a clean economy,” said Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.

Referring to the proliferation of pipelines, fracking, and other projects, the Coalitions calls for action by the Governor and Legislature “against this onslaught of dirty, dangerous, unneeded fossil fuel projects as they threaten our drinking water, open space, ocean, property values, communities, and neighborhoods; exacerbate the climate crisis; and block our transition to a green economy that creates more jobs at less cost.

At the rally June 25, members will be in Trenton urging policymakers to pass a suite of bills that will be up in the Senate session. SR106 (Codey/Kean) opposes the Pilgrim Pipeline, a proposal to install two brand new pipelines across New Jersey to carry crude oil and refined petroleum products. The Senate will also consider two bills and a resolution (S2858, S2979, SCR165) improving safety standards for railcars carrying explosive Bakken crude oil, produced by fracking.

The coalition unifies organizations across the state working to oppose various fossil fuel threats and to promote renewable energy alternatives that will reduce carbon pollution and will create more green jobs and promote a clean energy economy. They are focused on six important goals, for which they will advocate at the State House: Accelerate New Jersey’s transition to a safe, clean energy future, increase economic security and resiliency, and reduce carbon pollution; stop new pipeline projects from cutting through New Jersey communities and environments to service more fracked gas and oil; ban fracking and the dumping of frack waste in New Jersey; prohibit Bakken Shale crude oil and Alberta Tar Sand products from barreling through New Jersey on explosive oil trains; and prohibit offshore drilling and exploration of fossil fuel in and around New Jersey’s waters.

Clean Energy Rally & Lobby Day is Thursday, June 25 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Morning briefings will be held in Committee Room 9, on the third floor of the State House Annex. The Rally for Clean Energy is at noon on the Statehouse Annex Front Steps.