The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) has opened the application windows for the third year of the Community Energy Plan Grant (CEPG) Program and the first year of the new Community Energy Plan Implementation (CEPI) Program. These initiatives aim to enable local communities to create and implement energy plans that align with the State’s Energy Master Plan, which supports Governor Murphy’s clean energy and emissions reduction goals. A total of nearly $8 million is available, with $4.5 million allocated for the CEPG Program and $3.4 million for the CEPI Program in FY24. Funding comes from the State’s Clean Energy Program, supplemented by the Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program.
“We are excited for year three of our CEPG Program and to kick off the first year of CEPI,” said NJBPU President Christine Guhl-Sadovy. “Directing funds to the local level, particularly to overburdened municipalities, will allow the projects that are most effective for those communities to move forward as we battle the effects of climate change statewide.”
The CEPG Program was established in 2019, initially providing grants to three local governments. In its second year, funding availability was expanded to overburdened municipalities, resulting in 46 grants awarded, with more than half going to these communities.
The newly created CEPI program aims to complement the existing CEPG program by funding projects identified within community energy plans. Both programs are administered by NJBPU’s Office of Clean Energy Equity and focus on assisting New Jersey's overburdened municipalities.
Under the CEPG program, overburdened municipalities are eligible for larger grants; while all towns can receive $10,000, those classified as overburdened can receive up to $25,000. Sustainable Jersey provides enhanced technical assistance to applicants of both programs in partnership with NJBPU.
"Municipalities have tremendous authority and responsibility to act on climate change, but they don't have a lot of capacity," said Randall Solomon, Executive Director of Sustainable Jersey. "Thanks to our partnership with NJBPU, Sustainable Jersey is providing technical assistance to all municipalities... By providing pre-application support we are ensuring that the most stressed communities have access to these critical public resources."
Both programs encourage communities to develop localized energy plans focusing on equitable access, energy resilience, renewable energy, and efficiency. Municipalities without a community energy plan are encouraged to apply for year three of CEPG while those with existing plans should apply for CEPI funding.
Applications for both programs are open until February 23, 2024.
NJBPU is a state agency mandated to ensure safe utility services at reasonable rates in New Jersey. It oversees natural gas, electricity, water services among others. For more information about NJBPU or its initiatives like New Jersey's Clean Energy Program (NJCEP), visit their respective websites.
###
