Tom Johnson reports for NJ Spotlight:
With government coffers depleted, state considers public-private partnerships as a way to help finance local and state projects
New Jersey is looking to the private
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| Assemblywoman Marlene Caride |
sector to help rebuild and fortify its aging energy infrastructure.
In legislation (A-4508) that advanced in the Assembly prior to the summer recess, lawmakers approved a measure that would encourage public and private partnerships to facilitate energy projects at government buildings.
The impetus behind the bill is that with government coffers drained, the private sector, in partnership with local and state governments, could help design, build, and finance energy projects at a wide range of facilities, including water and wastewater treatment plants, colleges, medical facilities, and municipal buildings.
The legislation, sponsored by Assemblywoman Marlene Caride (D-Bergen), builds on the model of the Economic Stimulus Act of 2009, which allowed higher-education institutions to partner with private developers on projects.
Among the advantages of such public-private partnerships, proponents say the program will allow long-overdue projects to be undertaken without incurring the expense of millions of dollars in public funds.
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