Guess which city planning commission on Tuesday spent six hours reviewing four major proposed apartment complexes that together could bring more than 1,000 units to the area?
No, not New York, not Philadelphia, not even Jersey City.
It was Allentown, Pa, where different variations of an LLC named Lehigh River Development Corp., associated with the developer Urban Residential Properties, laid out plans to enliven the city’s waterfront.
Former American Atelier factory
The largest proposal involved a revised preliminary/final land development plan for a 16-story, 360-unit apartment building at 249-301 N. Front St. Urban Residential Properties plans to demolish the former American Atelier furniture factory to construct the building.
The 360 units will include 71 studios, 182 one-bedroom units, 103 two-bedroom apartments and four three-bedroom units.Read the full story
The most significant change was an increase in residential units from the previously approved 267, and specifically, an increase in studios. An event space was added, along with some façade changes to the building itself. The plan includes bicycle storage spaces outside the building and also features a rooftop garden.
Concerned that New York Governor Kathy Hochul may be backing away from implementing the state’s climate law, Environmental Advocates NY issued the following:
On February 26, news outlets reported on a leaked memo from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) — the contents widely interpreted as a signal that the Governor intends to roll back provisions of New York’s climate law, the Climate Leadership & Community Protection Act (CLCPA).
Such a rollback could involve lowering emissions reduction targets, extending deadlines, or other changes to the law. The effect of such changes would be to increase costs for households and the state, harming affordability and our communities’ public health.
The memo suggests that taking steps to implement the CLCPA — including the cap-and-invest program, branded as the Clean Air Initiative — could exacerbate energy affordability concerns for New Yorkers. But its analysis is intentionally misleading. It omits consumer protection guardrails provided for in the law, assumes the law will be implemented in the most expensive way, and ignores the cost savings and other benefits that households would see as the transition to renewables accelerated. It is also at odds with the Governor’s own administration’s prior analyses, which were developed through a transparent public process.
The memo comes after the Governor delayed CLCPA implementation for so long that she faced a lawsuit, which she lost in October. The court ordered her either to release regulations to implement the law that were required two years ago, or to engage with the legislature to change the law.
New York lawmakers must stand firm. Reducing our reliance on fossil fuels is one of the best things we can do to create a more affordable and more sustainable New York. The right thing for Governor Hochul to do is faithfully commit to implementing the CLCPA — including by issuing draft regulations for the Clean Air Initiative as she is legally required to do.
EnviroPolitics covers political, environmental, and energy news, legislation, and regulation in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, and Delaware. Get our free EnviroPolitics Blog or try a 30-day free trialto our daily EnviroPolitics Newsletter
The Jersey Board of Public Utilities yesterday awarded incentives to solar and battery storage projects, opened a second round of storage solicitations, advanced the Competitive Solar Incentive (CSI) Program, and approved the country’s largest-ever expansion of a state-run Community Solar energy program.
“Solar and battery storage are the fastest and most cost-effective ways to add new electricity generation capacity,” NJBPU President Christine Guhl-Sadovy said. “Today’s actions advance Governor Sherrill’s clean energy goals while continuing the Board’s commitment to balancing affordability and promoting clean, in-state energy resources,” .
Brandon Smithwood, Vice President of Policy for Dimension Energy, hailed the development.
“We are thrilled to see Governor Sherrill deliver on her inaugural commitment to get the expanded community solar program up and running in her first 45 days, “Smithwood said. “We applaud the Board’s decision and look forward to getting to work to bring many more New Jersey residents significant savings on their utility bills from new community solar projects. This is the kind of swift state action we need to see nationwide on community solar in order to bring relief to more Americans struggling to pay high energy bills.”
Dimension Energy is one of the largest owner operators of community solar projects in NJ with 25 rooftop projects operational or under construction that will serve at least 8,000 households across the state. Our New Jersey projects save subscribers an average of $800 on their utility bills annually. Please let me know if you’d like to speak with us, project subscribers, or community partners who stand to benefit from this news.
ACTION 1: 355 MW of Large-Scale Battery Storage Awarded (GSESP Phase 1, Tranche 1) and Second Storage Solicitation for 645 MW Launched (GSESP Phase 1, Tranche 2)
The Board approved incentives for three large battery storage projects under the first solicitation of the Garden State Energy Storage Program (GSESP), totaling 355 megawatts (MW) of capacity, slightly above the 350 MW minimum required by state law.
Two Rivers Energy Storage LLC (150 MW, Ridgefield, Bergen County)
North America Energy Storage Corp. (5 MW, Bordentown, Burlington County)
These battery projects will provide flexible, on-demand power to the PJM regional grid, helping to ease the capacity shortage that has contributed to higher electricity prices across the region.
EnviroPolitics covers political, environmental, and energy news, legislation, and regulation in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, and Delaware. Get our free EnviroPolitics Blog or try a 30-day free trial to our daily EnviroPolitics Newsletter
The Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee will meet on Monday, March 9, 2026, at 2:00 PM in Committee Room 14, 4th Floor, State House Annex, Trenton, NJ. The following bills will be considered:
A1311 – Concerns the right to repair farm equipment and lawn mowers.
A2753 – Requires the Department of Agriculture to publish information on highway safety for motorists passing farm equipment on public highways; includes safely sharing the roadway with farm equipment in driver education courses and certain informational brochures.
A4047 – Exempts clam aquaculturalists with a commercial shellfish aquaculture license from the law prohibiting the taking of clams on Sunday.
EnviroPolitics covers political, environmental, and energy news, legislation, and regulation in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, and Delaware. Get our free EnviroPolitics Blog or try a 30-day free trial to our daily EnviroPolitics Newsletter
The nonprofit organization Save Barnegat Bay wants to overturn the Planning Board’s unanimous approval of Lennar Homes’ proposed “Venue at Summers Corner” development on Center Street in Little Egg Harbor. (N. Scott Trimble | strimble@syracuse.com)N. Scott Trimble
Save Barnegat Bay has filed a lawsuit in Ocean County Superior Court challenging the approval of a 415-unit age-restricted housing development in Little Egg Harbor Township.
The Transition Reports and Executive Orders of New Jersey’s new Democratic Gov. Mickie Sherrill pose ‘the biggest assault on environmental protection in decades,’ according to this veteran environmental activist
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