Meadowlands solar farm gets support from Corzine, stimulus:
A plan by the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission to build a 5-megawatt solar farm on a Kearny landfill site — the state’s largest such project — edged closer to reality Tuesday afternoon as Gov. Jon S. Corzine announced $8.5 million in federal stimulus funding for it.
Early in September, the Meadowlands Commission expects to get responses to its invitation in May for requests for proposals for the project, said Brian Aberdack, the agency’s public information officer. The project cost is yet to be determined, and will be “in the tens of millions of dollars,” but the agency had originally asked for $10 million in federal stimulus funds, he said.
The state Board of Public Utilities on Aug. 19 awarded the stimulus grant of $8.5 million for the project, carving it out of $20.6 million of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds it has received. At its board meeting that day, it also approved a $4.3 million federal stimulus grant for an NJ Transit solar installation in Kearny, which is another project Corzine announced Tuesday.
The Meadowlands Commission’s Kearny solar farm project is part of its larger plan to generate up to 20 megawatts of renewable energy by 2020 in the Meadowlands District. The commission is the zoning and planning agency of the Hackensack Meadowlands District, a 30.4-square-mile area along the Hackensack River covering parts of 14 municipalities in Bergen and Hudson counties.
The Meadowlands Commission’s solar farm will occupy a landfill of about 35 acres of a 57-acre lot, according to a press note the agency issued in May, when it invited bids to build and operate a grid-connected photovoltaic system. The landfill has been inactive for 25 years, and “settlement has substantially occurred,” the agency said.
If all goes well, construction on the project would start by year’s end, but a completion date has not been finalized, Aberdack said. The selected firm will enter into a 15- to 20-year lease and take ownership of all available tax credits, depreciation and solar renewable energy certificates associated with the project, according to the commission.
In July, New Jersey installed its 4,000th solar farm, making it second only to California in the number of such installations. - njbiz.com
Officials tout buoys that capture wave energy off the Jersey coast:
Early in September, the Meadowlands Commission expects to get responses to its invitation in May for requests for proposals for the project, said Brian Aberdack, the agency’s public information officer. The project cost is yet to be determined, and will be “in the tens of millions of dollars,” but the agency had originally asked for $10 million in federal stimulus funds, he said.
The state Board of Public Utilities on Aug. 19 awarded the stimulus grant of $8.5 million for the project, carving it out of $20.6 million of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds it has received. At its board meeting that day, it also approved a $4.3 million federal stimulus grant for an NJ Transit solar installation in Kearny, which is another project Corzine announced Tuesday.
The Meadowlands Commission’s Kearny solar farm project is part of its larger plan to generate up to 20 megawatts of renewable energy by 2020 in the Meadowlands District. The commission is the zoning and planning agency of the Hackensack Meadowlands District, a 30.4-square-mile area along the Hackensack River covering parts of 14 municipalities in Bergen and Hudson counties.
The Meadowlands Commission’s solar farm will occupy a landfill of about 35 acres of a 57-acre lot, according to a press note the agency issued in May, when it invited bids to build and operate a grid-connected photovoltaic system. The landfill has been inactive for 25 years, and “settlement has substantially occurred,” the agency said.
If all goes well, construction on the project would start by year’s end, but a completion date has not been finalized, Aberdack said. The selected firm will enter into a 15- to 20-year lease and take ownership of all available tax credits, depreciation and solar renewable energy certificates associated with the project, according to the commission.
In July, New Jersey installed its 4,000th solar farm, making it second only to California in the number of such installations. - njbiz.com
Officials tout buoys that capture wave energy off the Jersey coast:
State and local officials joined with Ocean Power Technologies (OPT) Tuesday to recognize the success of one of the Pennington-based company's PowerBuoys off the coast of Atlantic City.
OPT is a pioneer in wave-energy technology that harnesses ocean wave resources to generate clean electricity.
"This is a celebration of our work in the renewable energy sector and an opportunity to thank the state and federal government for supporting OPT since the very beginning," said Charles Dunleavy, the company's senior vice president and chief financial officer. "As we continue to achieve success in both the national and international markets, OPT is proud to have invented, developed, and grow our operations right here in New Jersey."
The federal and state support, including assistance from the Navy, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the state Board of Public Utilities (BPU), the state Economic Development Authority (EDA), and the state Commission on Science and Technology.
The PowerBuoy has successfully operated for three years off the coasts of Hawaii, Spain, Scotland and Oregon.
"Governor Jon Corzine's comprehensive energy master plan calls for 30-percent of New Jersey's energy to be generated from renewable sources by the year 2020," said BPU President Jeanne Fox. "Ocean Power's PowerBuoy can help us achieve that goal while also building New Jersey's green economy and putting our people back to work. It's exactly the kind of business success that the Governor envisions for New Jersey."
OPT was founded 1994. It is a public company and operates out of a 23,000- square-foot facility. Since its inception, the company has focused on its proprietary PowerBuoy® technology, capturing wave energy using large floating buoys anchored to the sea bed and converting the energy into electricity using innovative power take-off systems.
Commencing in 1997, OPT has conducted ocean trials off the coast of New Jersey to demonstrate the concept of converting wave energy and convert it into electricity. Ocean Power currently has 42 employees in New Jersey and plans to continue its growth.
"Governor Corzine's commitment to investing in clean energy has ensured New Jersey is able to attract and develop companies like Ocean Power Technologies," said EDA Chief Executive Officer Caren S. Franzini. "Ocean Power's innovative technology and talented staff will only help to drive the company's growth and the creation of more green jobs in the state."
Franzini noted that EDA, in conjunction with BPU and the state Department of Environment Protection, recently launched Clean Energy Solutions, a suite of financing and incentive programs to further support the state's effort to promote green job creation and a more environmentally responsible energy future.
For more information on the state's energy master plan, visit www.nj.gov/emp. Businesses interested in learning more about all Clean Energy Solutions opportunities should visit www.njeda.com. - newjerseynewsroom.com
No comments:
Post a Comment