Improving Public Health, Combatting Climate Change, and Saving Taxpayer Dollars while Utilizing Grants & Community Engagement
JERSEY CITY, NJ – Today, Mayor Steven M. Fulop stood in front of the East Coast’s first fleet of
electric municipal garbage trucks recently deployed in Jersey City to announce the historic advancement of
the administration’s revolutionary alternative energy efforts, raising the bar to new heights as Jersey City
solidifies its role as an unequivocal leader in sustainability for other municipalities to mirror by mitigating
climate change, increasing resiliency, investing in a green economy, ensuring equity, and improving public
health.
In addition to the recently deployed EV garbage trucks,
Mayor Fulop unveiled the latest plans using grants and
community feedback to establish a strategic citywide
electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure through a
public/private partnership. To significantly scale up the
City’s electrification success, the program will increase
municipal and public EV use, reduce harmful pollution
and emissions, lower costs for taxpayers, and improve
public health overall.
“We are leading the country in electrification and sustainability as we work to achieve a healthier and more
equitable city. Incorporating greener technology is a cost-saving, long-term investment benefiting our
community, taxpayers, the environment, and most importantly, our residents’ health,” said Mayor
Fulop. “We are thoughtfully creating an RFP to build a robust multimodal charging infrastructure spanning
all Jersey City neighborhoods at no cost to taxpayers to strongly promote EV use and encourage a swift
public transition throughout our community. This initiative directly aligns with our commitment to
reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by the year 2050.”
Utilizing grants and residents’ feedback, Jersey City has added 37 electric vehicles to the City’s municipal
fleet and built 27 charging stations at key locations citywide – 22 of which have dual ports for a total of 49
chargers. To take it a step further, the fully electric garbage trucks and other municipal EVs are powered
by the solar panels installed at the City’s Department of Public Works (DPW) campus in 2020, which also
provides electricity to the entire DPW building.
Jersey City recently became the first on the East
Coast to add electric garbage trucks to the
municipal fleet, using a $2 million NJDEP grant
and replacing high-polluting diesel trucks. With
the successful deployment of the EV garbage
trucks, Jersey City is saving an average of 25
gallons of diesel per truck daily.
“We applaud the leadership of Jersey City, which
has been out front from the beginning on
electrifying transportation. Under Mayor Fulop,
the approach has been thoughtful, strategic,
comprehensive, and innovative,” said Pamela
Frank, CEO of ChargEVC.
To continue the positive momentum of transitioning to electric vehicles and providing multimodal charging
infrastructure in all of the City’s neighborhoods, 20 new EVs were recently purchased. Jersey City was
also recently awarded a $1 million DEP grant to expand from 49 to 89 EV chargers at optimal locations
throughout the community to promote more EV use. The added chargers will also enhance the City’s
efforts to grow Via Jersey City – New Jersey’s first on-demand, city-run rideshare program - from 10% to
100% electric.
“We have already removed over 80 gasoline-powered vehicles since we started this process, swapping them
out for electric vehicles and removing the rest entirely to decrease the size of our fleet as we move Jersey
City towards more sustainable practices using strategies like our employee car-sharing program,”
added Business Administrator John Metro.
Urban areas nationwide are major sources of greenhouse gas emissions. As part of the Fulop
Administration’s distinguished efforts in addressing climate change, increasing sustainability, and
improving public health, as outlined in the 2021 Jersey City Climate and Energy Action Plan, the City is
focused on transitioning transportation and energy systems to electric power utilizing state and federal grant
funding. Below is a summary of the Fulop Administration’s significant accomplishments in achieving these
goals:
2017
- Joined the “Mayors for Climate” Coalition following President Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement.
- First in NJ to establish EV only parking zones to help foster EV adoption.
2019
- Purchased first EV municipal fleet vehicles (Nissan LEAFs).
- Installed Jersey City’s first EV municipal fleet chargers.
2020
- Mayor Fulop signed Executive Order mandating 10% of all newly purchased or leased municipal
vehicles must be electric.
- Executive Order also enacted policies to transition the municipal fleet to 100% electric where
available by 2030 and cut emissions 80% by 20250.
- Launched first municipal car-sharing program for optimal size and efficiency, while also
eliminating underused vehicles to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- Solar panels installed at DPW, providing electricity to the building and EV charging stations
through the 1.23 Megawatt solar array.
- Launched Via Jersey City, becoming one of the first transit systems in the country to use EVs,
with over 10% of the current fleet being fully electric and moving towards nearly all electric.
- Added 8 Nissan LEAFs to municipal fleet.
- Piloted 4 fully electric police vehicles within the Jersey City Police Department fleet.
2021
- Released a comprehensive Climate and Energy Action Plan detailing strategic framework for
measuring, planning, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions and related climatic effects.
- Joined the United Nations’ Race to Zero campaign, pledging our commitment to becoming a
carbon-neutral city by mid-century.
2022
- Deployed 5 fully electric garbage trucks - a first for an East Coast city.
- Purchased 20 new EVs (Chevy Bolts) for municipal car-sharing program using grants.
2023
- Awarded $1 million NJDEP grant to install 20 new dual-port charging stations.
“The case for electric vehicles and electric charging stations couldn’t be clearer. Residents who live in urban
areas like Jersey City suffer higher rates of cancer, heart disease, and asthma tied to pollution from gas
powered vehicles. In addition to their climate benefits, electric vehicles and charging stations attack these
health problems at the source by preventing the release of dirty tailpipe emissions,” concluded Ed
Potosnak, Executive Director of New Jersey LCV. "We commend Mayor Fulop and Jersey City officials
for the steps they're taking to electrify their fleet and to increase access to charging infrastructure for all
Jersey City residents, and we applaud the Murphy Administration and DEP for funding and supporting this
important work."
This Thursday, April 20, Mayor Fulop will join city officials, community organizations, and local residents
at 1:30 p.m. to raise the Earth Day flag at City Hall.
