NJ utilities chief Joe Fiordaliso, a clean energy advocate, dies at 78

⚡ Gov. Phil Murphy named Joseph Fiordaliso chairman of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities

⚡ Fiordaliso was a strong advocate for clean energy

⚡ He was a 'consummate public servant,' Murphy said

Joseph Fiordaliso, the longtime member of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, has died according to Gov. Phil Murphy.

A native of the Ironbound section of Newark, the 78-year-old was appointed by Gov. Richard Codey in 2005 to the Board after serving as his chief of staff.  He was re-nominated to the board by Chris Christie and to the chairmanship by Murphy. He was also a three-time mayor of Livingston and a member of the Township Council.

Murphy announced Fiordaliso's death in a statement Thursday morning. He did not disclose a cause of death.

"Joe Fiordaliso was a consummate public servant, a trusted colleague and a good friend," Murphy wrote on his social media. "Every time you saw Joe he was wearing his signature offshore wind pin or handing one out to anyone and everyone he met. He had an infectious personality and generous spirit."

Strong backer of Murphy's clean energy plan

In what would be his final BPU public hearing Fiordaliso pushed back hard against what he called misinformation about Murphy's green energy plan and said the state is not taking anyone's gas stove away.

"With these new incentives, we are encouraging folks to move to energy efficiency options. Notice I said encouraging folks. But let's be clear. We are not requiring. We are not mandating anyone to give up their gas stove. If that were the case I'd be thrown out of my own house," Fiordaliso said.

In his final message on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, Fiordaliso addressed climate change.

"Climate change is contributing to frequent dangerous heat waves across the globe. Let this week’s heat advisory serve as another critical reminder that we all must do our part to reduce the effects of climate change by transitioning to clean energy," Fiordaliso wrote.

Condolences from friends and foes

NJBIA President and CEO Michele Siekerka, whose organization has been at odds with Murphy's green plans, offered her condolences.

“Both as president and in his years prior with the BPU, Joe was truly and passionately committed to his job and its many missions. And even when we didn’t agree on policy issues, President Fiordaliso always had an open door, took part in many NJBIA events and had receptive ears to our concerns," Siekerka said in a statement.

New Jersey Utilities Association President and CEO Rich Henning issued the following statement today on the passing of New Jersey Board of Public Utilities President Joe Fiordaliso:

“Joe was a wonderful man and an amazing public servant. He dedicated his life to doing right by the people of New Jersey whether he was teaching our children, serving his beloved residents as Mayor and Councilman in Livingston, or leading the Board of Public Utilities through some of the toughest issues such as COVID-19 and our move to a clean energy future," New Jersey Utilities Association President and CEO Rich Henning said in a statement. "He was our partner and our friend. This is a tremendous loss for our state and for those of us who were lucky enough to know Joe."

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom