‘We don’t want those jobs,’ Bhalla says about oil industry in NJ (Opinion)

🗣️ During a heated Assembly Environment Committee debate, Chairman Ravi Bhalla responded to concerns about fossil-fuel job losses with “Good” and “We don’t want those jobs.”

💼 Republicans argued New Jersey has already lost thousands of oil-and-gas jobs while the state faces more than 7,600 announced layoffs and broader affordability pressures.

⚖️ The exchange came as Democrats advanced a bill that would seek $50 billion from certain fossil-fuel companies for climate-related harms and resilience projects.

After almost 40 years covering New Jersey politics, there are still moments that make me stop and rewind the tape. Thursday’s Assembly Environment Committee hearing was one of them.

Lawmakers were debating a bill that would seek $50 billion from fossil fuel companies for alleged environmental damage tied to climate change.

In the middle of that fight, the conversation turned from emissions and liability to jobs — and the exchange got surprisingly blunt.

ExxonMobil is officially leaving New Jersey, ending a corporate presence that dates back more than 140 years. (Google maps/Canva/TSQ illustration)

NJ climate superfund bill sparks jobs fight in Trenton

Republican Assemblymen Gerry Scharfenberger and Michael Inganamort argued that New Jersey has already lost thousands of oil and gas jobs as companies pulled operations from the state. They pointed to firms such as ExxonMobil, Hess, Chevron, and Valero leaving or scaling back in New Jersey while the state faces layoffs and affordability pressures.

That prompted a sharp, and shocking, response from Democratic committee Chairman Rhavi Bhalla.

“Good…we don’t want those jobs. We want clean energy jobs. We don’t want jobs that cause climate disasters and kill our residents.”

(NJ Legislature)

Scharfenberger pushed back that “thousands of jobs” had already been lost as companies left New Jersey, while Inganamort argued the state was making itself less competitive for employers and energy producers. Bhalla did not dispute the transition away from fossil fuel jobs; instead, he framed the issue as a choice between traditional energy employment and clean-energy employment.

Bhalla says New Jersey should want clean-energy jobs instead

The comments landed with particular force because of the broader economic backdrop. More than 7,600 layoffs have already been announced in New Jersey this year, and affordability remains the dominant issue for residents dealing with high housing, utility, insurance, and tax costs.

ExxonMobil has announced plans to move its corporate headquarters functions from New Jersey to Texas, a decision critics of Trenton’s business climate have tied to high taxes and regulation. This $50 billion additional tax surely didn't help. Supporters of the climate bill counter that fossil fuel companies should help pay for environmental and infrastructure costs associated with climate change and that clean-energy investment can create new jobs.

That's certainly possible, but those are future jobs. The layoffs are happening now.

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