NJBPU’s Solar Vote A Clear Win For Large Solar Projects

Trenton – The NJ Board of Public Utilities unanimously voted this morning during their Board meeting to approve an additional 310 megawatts of grid supply large projects across Central and South Jersey as part of the NJBPU’s Competitive Solar Incentive (CSI) Solicitation program, including 80 MW of solar paired with energy storage, authorized by NJ’s 2021 Solar Act. An initial competitive solicitation process from last summer ended up with multiple larger solar projects not being approved, and this revised solicitation process solicited bids across five tranches, with the most popular tranches being oversubscribed for straight grid supply projects, as well as projects on landfills and contaminated sites. There was a limited number of bids that paired solar projects with energy storage. The largest awarded solar project will be based in Warren in Somerset County and clocks in at 95 Megawatts, one of the largest solar projects in the state. As of January 2024, New Jersey has 4,766 Megawatts of solar delivering power to the grid, with more than 800 Megawatts in the solar pipeline.

Doug O’Malley, Director of Environment New Jersey, issued the following statement:

“NJBPU’s Energy Master Plan set aggressive goals for growth of NJ solar – which remains one of the best renewable energy sources to immediately provide clean energy to the grid on the hottest summer days and fight climate change. Today’s NJBPU vote finally moves grid supply solar forward in a big way to complement the growth of the wildly successful community solar program. The diversity and size of the projects means solar is scaling up – and makes it even more important for NJBPU to continue to move forward with large solar installations across the state. It’s time to go big on solar projects in New Jersey – and this is a great day for NJBPU’s solar program.

These successful solicitation bids also need to be paired with state investments in New Jersey’s electric grid. The $40 million grid modernization in Gov. Murphy’s FY25 budget must be paired with additional grid modernization initiatives from the NJBPU as well as Sen. Smith’s more expansive grid modernization investment legislation. We need to ensure we are continuing to invest in our electric grid so clean energy doesn’t get throttled on the grid.

Today’s vote also is a clear win for the projects that previously were rejected by the Board last winter. The combination of large grid supply projects, smaller projects that take advantage of our landfills and brownfields and projects that incorporate energy storage are the key to moving off fossil fuels and to a clean, renewable energy future. It’s critical for the Murphy Administration continue to double down on these clear in-state solar clean renewable energy projects.”

The NJBPU Board Order for this morning’s vote is linked below: https://www.nj.gov/bpu/pdf/boardorders/2024/20240417/8G%20ORDER%20CSI%20Program%20Second%20Solicitation.pdf