The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) has announced the recipients of awards for the third year of the Community Energy Plan Grant (CEPG) Program and the first year of the Community Energy Plan Implementation (CEPI) Program. These initiatives aim to assist local communities in creating and executing energy plans aligned with the State’s Energy Master Plan, which targets clean energy and emissions reduction goals set by Governor Phil Murphy.
“As the climate crisis intensifies, every New Jersey municipality must be equipped to face its wide-ranging effects and unique impacts on individual communities,” said NJBPU President Christine Guhl-Sadovy. “From Prospect Park to Atlantic City, the NJBPU continues to support communities across the state – including overburdened municipalities on the front lines of climate change – as they design and carry out community energy plans that best reflect their local needs and realities.”
In this funding cycle, 92 projects have been awarded under the CEPG Program, doubling last year's recipients. Additionally, 18 projects have received awards under the CEPI program.
Projects funded by CEPI will generate economic and environmental benefits across New Jersey. This includes installing 25 electric vehicle charging stations for public use in high-traffic areas and municipal facilities. The funding will also facilitate energy efficiency upgrades in critical municipal buildings. These projects are expected to save thousands of dollars in energy costs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 250 tons, achieve electric savings of over 350,000 kWh per year, and fuel savings of 1,500 MMBtus per year.
For FY24, nearly $8 million was allocated for CEPG and CEPI awards. The funds included $4.5 million for CEPG and $3.4 million for CEPI from the State’s Clean Energy Program, supplemented by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program.
The CEPG Program was created in 2019, initially providing grants to three local governments before expanding in its second year to include more municipalities deemed overburdened. All municipalities are eligible for $10,000 grants under CEPG, while overburdened ones can receive up to $25,000. The CEPI Program was established in 2023 to help implement projects identified within community energy plans.
Sustainable Jersey partners with NJBPU to offer technical assistance to applicants of both programs, focusing particularly on overburdened municipalities.
“Community Energy Plans are essential to implement our State’s Energy Master Plan at the local level," said Randall Solomon, director of Sustainable Jersey. "To lead this effort, municipalities are engaging in planning to collaboratively select the projects for implementation of local emissions-reducing initiatives."
Details about awardees can be found on NJBPU's website.
New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program (NJCEP), established on January 22, 2003, provides incentives for high-efficiency or renewable energy technologies aimed at reducing energy usage and environmental impacts. NJBPU oversees this program along with regulating critical utility services statewide.
For more information about NJCEP or NJBPU visit www.NJCleanEnergy.com or www.nj.gov/bpu respectively.
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