Welcome back to our newsletter!We're excited to fill you in on what has taken place. Take this opportunity to learn new information on energy efficiency and other clean energy tech innovations. Remember... we're all helping light the way to a clean energy future!

In this Newsletter:

What's New from the NJBPU
Program Highlights
Stay in the Know: Battery Storage
Let's Get Technical
NJCEP Calendar
Resources

What's New from the NJBPU?

The application window for the Community Energy Plan Grant (CEPG) Program is now open!

CEPG provides grants to municipalities to develop their own community energy plans that are aligned with the state Energy Master Plan and that address the needs of their respective communities.

All New Jersey municipalities are eligible to receive $10,000 in grant funding to develop their plans. Overburdened municipalities are eligible for a grant of $25,000 and technical assistance to help create the plan.

Municipalities that have already completed a community energy plan are encouraged to apply for the Community Energy Plan Implementation (CEPI) Grant Program.

Information for these grant programs can be found at NJCleanEnergy.com/CEP.

Program Highlights

NEW CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM COMING SOON

Coming Soon -New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program's multiple new construction programs are merging into a single streamlined New Construction Program.

Redesigned to increase energy efficiency and environmental performance, the program simplifies the application process and improves the customer experience while working to reach the program’s long-term goal of transforming the new construction market.

The draft New Construction Program Compliance Filing can be found here and is open for public comments until 3/20/2024. You can also learn more information in this video.

Watch for Energy Efficiency Listserv updates, attend Energy Efficiency Stakeholder Meetings, or attend an upcoming program overview or trade ally webinar event for details.

HIGHER EDUCATION DECARBONIZATION PILOT TAKES OFF

The Higher Education Decarbonization Pilot has kicked off strong since its launch in November 2023. Our Decarb Program reps presented at New Jersey Institute of Technology's (NJIT) Campus Consortium Decarbonization event, raising awareness and sharing program details and opportunities for higher education schools. With 80 attendees, it was a great platform in helping gain several project opportunities.

Join our monthly program informational webinar to learn more!

Connect with experts specializing in decarbonization by emailing LEUPDecarb@NJCleanEnergy.comor calling 866-NJSMART.

Learn more at NJCleanEnergy.com/LEUPDecarb.

Looking to reduce the cost of financing for clean energy?

New Jersey Economic Development Authority's (NJEDA) NJ Clean Energy Loans (NJ CELs) is a co-lending program for clean energy projects, improvements, and businesses.

NJ CELs can be used to finance solar projects, battery storage, heat pumps, EV charging stations, and more. Clean energy businesses can also apply for a loan for working capital.

NJEDA loan sizes range from $250K to $10M, with favorable terms
Matching loan from a financial institution required
Special terms for minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses

Visit NJEDA.gov/NJCELS/

or email njcels@njeda.gov to learn more.

The NJ Cool program is a $15 million pilot program launched by the

New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) to provide financial assistance to commercial building

owners and tenants undertaking retrofit construction projects that reduce operating greenhouse gas emissions

from select existing commercial

buildings in Newark, Edison, and

Atlantic City.

The NJEDA will provide grant awards ranging from $50K to $1M to reimburse applicants for eligible hard construction costs from projects that upgrade

building heating and cooling systems

to less-polluting alternatives, as well as implement other energy efficiency measures or on-site renewables.

Visit NJEDA.gov/NJCool for full program details or email njcool@njeda.gov with any questions.

Stay in the Know

BATTERY STORAGE

The State of New Jersey has one of the most ambitious storage targets in the nation: 2000 MW of storage by 2030! Energy storage resources are critical to increasing the resilience of New Jersey’s electric grid, reducing carbon emissions, and enabling New Jersey’s transition to 100% clean energy.

What are energy storage resources?

There’s more to energy storage than your standard lithium-ion phone battery. In clean energy, an energy storage resource is a device that can absorb and store energy and then feed it back into the electric grid, or a system that reduces the use of power from the electric grid. More and more New Jerseyans have one parked in their garage! NJCEP is shaping vehicle-to-grid policies so that the battery of an electric vehicle can discharge back into a home to reduce the use of power from the grid. In the future, sodium-ion batteries (less expensive than lithium) could even be connected as grid-scale storage, useful for reducing energy costs during times of highest demand.

The New Jersey Energy Storage Incentive Program (NJ SIP) is supporting long-term energy storage efforts in the state in conjunction with other programs like the Competitive Solar Incentive (CSI) Program.

Find out more on the energy storage page NJCleanEnergy.com/STORAGE or join the program’s listserv by sending an email to energy.storage@bpu.nj.gov.

Let's Get Technical

Maximizing Your Heat Pump

It's the season for blankets, hot coffee, and HEAT PUMPS! Did you know there's a way to make your heat pump more energy efficient? It's true! So how do we keep the warm air in?

Seal air leaks
This will keep the warm air from leaving the building through air leaks
Add insulation
Cold air will stay outside where it belongs leaving the indoors nice and warm
Improve duct work
Seal, straighten, reconnect, and repair holes to ensure proper airflow

Financial incentives are available for new construction projects and large energy users through New Jersey's Clean Energy Program.

For more information about heat pumps, visit the ENERY STAR® website.

NJCEP Calendar

Check out upcoming events and meetings on NJCEP's Calendar!

NJCEP Calendar

Resources

FAQs

Utility Energy Efficiency Programs

Newsletter Archive

Program Information

Join a Stakeholder Group

Join the thousands of New Jersey homeowners, businesses and municipalities that have taken advantage of incentives offered by New Jersey's Clean Energy Program.™ These programs provide opportunities for you to save energy, money and help protect our climate and shoreline.

New Jersey's Clean Energy Program

866-NJ SMART | NJCleanEnergy.com

44 South Clinton Avenue | PO Box 350 | Trenton, NJ 08625