The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) Board has approved $79 million in grant awards to 10 large-scale decarbonization and energy efficiency projects under the Reducing Emissions through Retrofits, Optimization, Fuel-Switching, and Innovative Technologies (Retrofit NJ) Program. The awards, spread across nine communities throughout the state, will advance solar generation and battery storage projects, generate enough energy to power nearly 3,000 homes, lower energy costs and eliminate over 845,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, promoting New Jersey’s clean energy goals and stimulating economic growth.
“Projects supported by the Retrofit NJ Program will provide meaningful cost relief to residents and business owners, broaden energy capacity and increase the reliability of the state’s electric grid, building on the NJEDA’s existing clean energy efforts to strengthen the state’s economic future,” said NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Evan Weiss.
The awarded projects include a combined 20.3 megawatts (MW) of solar and 86.9 MW of battery storage, supporting $238 million in economic activity, with $54 million of the awarded funding directed to projects in the state’s Overburdened Communities. The suite of approved projects will reduce electricity usage by 30.7 million kilowatts (kW) annually, relieving strains on the state’s electric grid and lowering energy costs.
The Retrofit NJ program utilizes $79 million in Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) funds. Each project includes at least three clean energy or electrification components, such as solar, energy storage, electrification of heating, refrigerant replacement, and energy efficiency upgrades, or is a thermal energy network (TEN), which connects heating, cooling and/or hot water systems across multiple buildings. Funding can cover both hard and soft project costs, including design, engineering, equipment, construction and commissioning.
The ten awards funded under the Retrofit NJ Program are:
- Camden County Vo-Tech School , Sicklerville, $10 million. The project includes installation of a 2.1 MW solar system, high global warming potential (GWP) refrigerant replacements, energy efficiency upgrades and two electric vehicle charging stations.
- Christ Church/CARE Center of NJ, Rockaway, $6.9 million.The project includes installation of a 1.78 MW solar system, air source heat pumps, high-GWP refrigerant replacements, and energy efficiency upgrades.
- DGMB Casino LLC (Resorts Casino Hotel), Atlantic City, $8.8 million. The project includes installation of a 2.1 MW solar system, a 16 MW energy storage system and a Building Management System upgrade to effectuate greater energy efficiency.
- Housing Authority of Plainfield, Plainfield, $3 million.The project includes installation of a 69 kW solar system, air source heat pumps, high-GWP refrigerant replacements and energy efficiency upgrades.
- Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Newark, $2.9 million. The project includes installation of a 581-kilowatt solar system, replacement of natural gas air and water heating units with electric heaters and heat pumps, energy efficiency upgrades and three electric vehicle charging stations.
- Port Authority Trans-Hudson, Jersey City, $9.5 million.The project includes installation of a 690.5-kilowatt solar system, replacement of multiple natural gas and oil-fired heating systems with clean alternatives, and energy efficiency upgrades.
- Rutgers, the State University of NJ, New Brunswick, $8 million.The project will replace aging underground high-temperature hot water distribution piping with new, pre-insulated piping on and between Busch and Livingston Campuses, a thermal energy network that will provide heating, domestic hot water and cooling to approximately 124 campus buildings.
- Showboat Hospitality LLC, Atlantic City, $9.9 million. The project includes installation of a 4.3 MW energy storage system, high-GWP refrigerant replacement, and energy efficiency upgrades.
- Somerset Holmdel Development (Bell Works), Holmdel, $10 million. The project includes installation of a 12.99 MW solar system, high-GWP refrigerant replacements and energy efficiency upgrades.
- X-L Plastics, Clifton, $10 million. The project includes installation of a 47 MW energy storage system, refrigerant replacements, replacement of gas-fired rooftop units and gas-fired domestic hot water heaters with high-efficiency electric heat pump systems and energy efficiency upgrades.
The RETROFIT NJ Program expands on the efforts of the NJ Cool program, which supports smaller to medium-sized building decarbonization projects
