SOMA Action Climate Legislation Subcommittee tracks government policy on climate and environment.
Legislation
The legislation committee advances public policies that reduce climate change and protect the environment. Our activities include:
Advocating for legislation, regulation, and structural reform.
Educating the public and other activists.
Researching the issues:
Clean Energy, Air, and Water
Green Transportation and Buildings
Waste & Recycling
Stormwater
Our 2026 priorities include:
Data centers must “Bring your own new clean energy”.
Take Action! Send a letter to legislators.
This bill requires “AI” data centers to arrange for their electricity to be supplied by clean energy — renewables and nuclear — newly built just for them. The rest of us shouldn’t have to pay for it, nor should the environment.
To protect economic competitiveness, it only takes effect if a majority of other states in PJM adopt similar policy, so there’s no risk for New Jersey to lead by example!
It also requires that data centers don’t use transmission grid capacity needed to deliver renewable energy to other ratepayers. Transmission is half the story of supplying electricity, and the public shouldn’t have to pay for data centers’ transmission needs, either.
Plug-in Solar.
Take Action! Send a letter to legislators.
If your phone, TV, and blender can plug into a socket, why can’t your solar panel? Help make plug-in solar legal, accessible, and simple in New Jersey! Plug In Solar is good for you - it can lower your electric bill, give you more control over your energy use and is simple - no roof required! And it’s good for everyone - it reduces barriers to clean energy (so more people can participate), cuts dependence on foreign fossil fuels (no more wars for oil), and strengthens local energy resilience (because outages don’t care about politics).
Plug-in solar is:
✅ Pro-choice (energy choice, that is) — You decide how you power your home
✅ Pro-freedom — Less reliance on big utilities, more independence for you
✅ Pro-common sense — If you can plug in a coffee maker, you can use this
Energy freedom should be as easy as flipping a switch! Support A4836!
Make Polluters Pay
Climate Superfund Act S2338 / A3735.
Take Action! Send a letter to legislators
100 fossil fuel companies are responsible for over 70% of global emissions. Should NJ taxpayers fund the clean-up from the next superstorm or the grid updates necessary to weather the next heat dome? Or should the companies that caused this pay the price? Fossil fuel companies knew the damage climate change would cause, but kept drilling anyway. Endorsed by South Orange and Maplewood governments, the Essex County Commissioners, and our district representatives in NJ State Government, this bill will collect money from the largest polluters to pay for community climate resilience projects. Check out the incredible info from our ally Climate Revolution Action Network.