Rebate for home-grown New Jersey solar panels?


New Jersey residents interested in installing solar-energy panels on their rooftops–and those in-state companies that manufacture the panels–would both benefit from a new rebate plan under consideration by the state Board of Public Utilities.
Scott Fallon reports in today’s Bergen Record that:

“The New Jersey Renewable Energy Manufacturing Incentive would give homeowners an additional 25 cents per watt on top of the current $1.75-per-watt rebate. That means a house with a modest 2-kilowatt system could see a $4,000 rebate check to offset the often costly installation.”

Providing impetus to the BPU program is S-2739, legislation sponsored by Bob Smith, chairman of the state Senate’s Environment Committee. The Assembly version of the bill is A-3980 .
A number of other state legislators also have been doing their part to encourage solar energy’s growth.
Solar-energy legislation currently under consideration :
A-2859/S-1538 Concerns biomass, solar, and wind energy generation on farms.
A-2994 Authorizes municipalities to require solar energy elements as condition of site plan or subdivision approval.
A-3062/S-1303 Defines “inherently beneficial use” for purposes of zoning variance and specifically includes facilities and structures that supply electrical energy produced from wind, solar, or photovoltaic technologies.

A-3208/S-2429 Requires the incorporation of solar panels in design and construction of new public school facilities.
A-3218/S-1096 Creates Solar and Wind Energy Commission.
A-3238/S-1065 Permits electric public utilities, electric power suppliers and basic generation service providers to enter into certain agreements with building owners for use of solar energy systems for such buildings.
A-3347 /S-2218 Authorizes DOT, NJ Turnpike Authority, and South Jersey Transportation Authority to permit BPU-certified persons to install and maintain solar photovoltaic panels on noise barriers erected on roads and highways
A-3520 /S-2441 “The Solar Energy Advancement and Fair Competition Act.”
A-3616/S-2499 Encourages purchase of NJ solar panels and wind turbines for State projects and State-funded projects
A-3701/S-1953 Requires all new State buildings to have solar or geothermal energy systems, where feasible.
A-3845/S-2569 Establishes “Solar Equipment Purchase and Installation Assistance Program” in NJ EDA.
Solar-energy bills signed into law earlier this year:

A-1558 which requires developers to offer solar energy systems in certain new home construction, and

A-2550 which permits location of certain wind and solar facilities in industrial zones.

Related posts:
Long Island’s solar grants frying up; PA’s coming

Other recent posts:
Week’s top environmental news in New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, New York and beyond: May 11-15

———————————————————————————-
Get EnviroPolitics for the top environmental and political news
in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York every business day.
PLUS: Proposed environmental regulation alerts
PLUS: Full tracking of environmental legislation
Sign up now for a no-obligation, 30-day Free Trial

Rebate for home-grown New Jersey solar panels? Read More »

NJ Sierra Club says: Stimulate this, not that

In another “we’ll decide what’s good for you” press release, the
Sierra Club today dictated what federal stimulus fund projects
it will accept in New Jersey and which it will “fight.”

The first sentence of the release sets its overall snarky tone:

“As the Governor and politicians pat themselves on the back for stimulus money coming into the state, the NJ Sierra Club is watching closely to make sure those dollars are not spent on projects that will be detrimental to both the environment and the economy.”

Oooohhhhh. I’ll sleep a lot better at night knowing that the Sierra Club is standing between me and those horrible politicians. Imagine the nerve of that bunch, trying to foist upon us millions of dollars worth of environmental improvements that haven’t been approved by the Mother Nature or her New Jersey stand-in, Sierra Club Executive Director Jeff Tittel.

Tittel’s release dictates the terms. He’s down with spending federal stimulus funds to fix leaky sewer systems in urban areas, but, as for those horrid suburbs, :

“Funds going to Rockaway Valley Sewage Authority and Jefferson will allow for new development to hook into sewers in the Highlands . Major expansions of the county utility in Gloucester will lead to sewers in the environmentally-sensitive Delaware Bayshore area. Monies for sewer expansion in Medford , Evesham, and Buena could allow for additional development in the Pinelands. Expanding sewers in East Greenwich Township will promote sprawl on environmentally sensitive farmland. “

Jeff also is not amused by the thought of using the funds for:

“Landfill redevelopment proposals in Gloucester County , Cumberland County , Woodbury, Belleville and Teterboro. ” A redevelopment project in Harrison on a contaminated site also makes his no-no list.

As for the anticipated $469 million for transportation projects, he opposes:

“applying stimulus money towards extending Route 55, and widening 206 in the Highlands as well as the Atlantic City Expressway.” Not urban, not good.

The Sierrans, however, will accept fixing the Pulaski Skyway or improving deficient bridges. Gee, thanks, guys.

Of the $420 million intended for NJ Transit projects, he notes that $130 million of it would be used for a new tunnel to New York City….one “which the Sierra Club opposes as currently designed.” Hint: Change the design, boys, and maybe we’ll change our opposition.

Is all of what the Sierra Club calls for (or opposes) in the release unreasonable?

Probably not. But it’s sure hard to warm up to when its delivered in the style they use so frequently: high-handed, imperious, dictatorial.

Tree huggers are supposed to be warm and fuzzy. This bunch sounds more like Dick Cheney every day.

Our most recent posts:
Feds’ $2.4B to ‘stimulate’ carbon capture projects
For carbon sequestration, it’s test time
USGS report drills into Marcellus Shale concerns
Thousands of climate lobbyists besiege Congress
Alert: NJ’s Licensed Site Professional bill signed

———————————————————————————-
Get EnviroPolitics for the top environmental and political news
in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York every business day.
PLUS: Proposed environmental regulation alerts
PLUS: Full tracking of environmental legislation
Get EnviroPolitics free, without obligation, for 30 days!

NJ Sierra Club says: Stimulate this, not that Read More »

Environmental Events in NJ & PA

How do you keep track of environmental events?
What kind?
All kinds…seminars, workshops, conferences, educational and training sessions–all the stuff that can help you get ahead.
And the fun kind, too –movies, socials, green-drinks, hikes and lots of networking events.
Do you poke around through a bunch of newspapers, newsletters, organizational websites?
Or do you just hope somehow the event will find you?
We’d like to propose a better way. It’s comprehensive, easy and (you’ll like this part) FREE.
It’s the Enviro-Events Calendar published and updated 24/7.
Click on the link above to check it out.
Better still, get on our automatic update list.

We’ll send you email alerts when new events are added.

Don’t worry. We won’t bombard you with them. A few times a week at
most. Just enough so that you don’t miss any great opportunities.

Interested? Send a blank email to: enviro-calendar@aweber.com
Then check your email for a one-step confirmation message.
If it doesn’t appear, take a peek in your junk file.
You’re going to love this service because it makes your life so much easier.
If it’s not for you, you can unsubscribe at any time.
Be sure to tell your friends, too. They need it, too.

Environmental Events in NJ & PA Read More »

Is carbon capture the political key to climate bill?

“With Congress crafting energy and climate legislation, disparate lobbyists are urging lawmakers to think about China and other developing countries as reasons to develop power plants that capture coal’s carbon emissions. If the United States succeeds in building commercially viable coal plants, lobbyists and some independent experts argue, it could export the technology to countries that are building traditional power plants at a rapid clip.”

So reports Scientific American in an interesting article
you can read here

Our most recent posts:
Feds’ $2.4B to ‘stimulate’ carbon capture projects
For carbon sequestration, it’s test time
USGS report drills into Marcellus Shale concerns
Thousands of climate lobbyists besiege Congress
Alert: NJ’s Licensed Site Professional bill signed

———————————————————————————-
Get EnviroPolitics for the top environmental and political news
in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York every business day.
PLUS: Proposed environmental regulation alerts
PLUS: Full tracking of environmental legislation
Sign up now – No-obligation, 30 full days Free Trial

Is carbon capture the political key to climate bill? Read More »

Feds’ $2.4B to ‘stimulate’ carbon capture projects


On Thursday, we reported in For carbon sequestration, it’s test time on a major project designed to test the commercial viability of carbon sequestration technology (more popularly known as ‘carbon capture and storage’).

The technology, which removes CO2, a major greenhouse gas, from coal-burning power plants and injects it into deep underground rock sediments, holds great promise for the economies of coal-producing states like Pennsylvania and for utilities with coal plants that could be retrofitted with the technology to meet tougher greenhouse emission standards.

On Friday, U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, speaking before
the National Coal Council, announced that $2.4 billion from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will be used to expand and accelerate the commercial deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology.

Here’s a news release from the Energy Department on the stimulus-project announcement:

“The funding is part of the Obama Administration’s ongoing effort to develop technologies to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas and contributor to global climate change, into the atmosphere while creating new jobs.

“To prevent the worst effects of climate change, we must accelerate our efforts to capture and store carbon in a safe and cost-effective way. This funding will both create jobs now and help position the United States to lead the world in CCS technologies, which will be in increasing demand in the years ahead,” said Secretary Steven Chu.

“The Department is posting Notices of Intent to issue this funding, supporting the following initiatives:

“Clean Coal Power Initiative: $800 million will be used to expand DOE’s Clean Coal Power Initiative, which provides government co-financing for new coal technologies that can help utilities cut sulfur, nitrogen and mercury pollutants from power plants. The new funding will allow researchers broader CCS commercial-scale experience by expanding the range of technologies, applications, fuels, and geologic formations that are tested.

“Industrial Carbon Capture and Storage: $1.52 billion will be used for a two-part competitive solicitation for large-scale CCS from industrial sources. The industrial sources include, but are not limited to, cement plants, chemical plants, refineries, steel and aluminum plants, manufacturing facilities, and petroleum coke-fired and other power plants.

“The second part of the solicitation will include innovative concepts for beneficial CO2 reuse (CO2 mineralization, algae production, etc.) and CO2 capture from the atmosphere. In addition, two existing industrial and innovative reuse projects, previously selected via competitive solicitations, will be expanded to accelerate scale-up and field testing:

“Ramgen Modification ($20 million): funding will allow the industrial-sized scale-up and testing of an existing advanced CO2 compression project with the objective of reducing time to commercialization, technology risk, and cost. Work on this project will be done in Bellevue, WA.

“Arizona Public Services Modification ($70.6 million): funding will permit the existing algae-based carbon mitigation project to expand testing with a coal-based gasification system. The goal is to produce fuels from domestic resources while reducing atmospheric CO2 emissions. The overall process will minimize production of carbon dioxide in the gasification process to produce a substitute natural gas (SNG) from coal. The host facility for this project is the Cholla Power Plant located in Holbrook, AZ.

“Geologic Sequestration Site Characterization: $50 million will fund a competitive solicitation to characterize a minimum of 10 geologic formations throughout the United States. Projects will be required to complement and build upon the existing characterization base created by DOE’s Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnerships, looking at broadening the range and extent of geologic basins that have been studied to date. The goal of this effort is to accelerate the determination of potential geologic storage sites.

“Geologic Sequestration Training and Research: $20 million will be used to educate and train a future generation of geologists, scientists, and engineers with skills and competencies in geology, geophysics, geomechanics, geochemistry and reservoir engineering disciplines needed to staff a broad national CCS program. This program will emphasize advancing educational opportunities across a broad range of minority colleges and universities and will use DOE’s University Coal Research Program as the model for implementing the program. “

Our most recent posts:
For carbon sequestration, it’s test time
USGS report drills into Marcellus Shale concerns
Thousands of climate lobbyists besiege Congress
Alert: NJ’s Licensed Site Professional bill signed
Suburbs still growing but region’s cities are too

———————————————————————————-
Get EnviroPolitics for the top environmental and political news
in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York every business day.
PLUS: Proposed environmental regulation alerts
PLUS: Full tracking of environmental legislation
Sign up now – No-obligation, 30 full days Free Trial

Feds’ $2.4B to ‘stimulate’ carbon capture projects Read More »

Week’s top environmental news in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and beyond: May 11-15


Below are just a few of the environmental and political news stories for New Jersey, Pennsylvania and beyond that appeared in EnviroPolitics during the week of May 11-15, 2009.

New Jersey Politics

Corzine cuts $150 million more from budget The governor plans several additional steps to close the rest of the $1.2 billion budget gap for the fiscal year Inquirer Bergen Record

Little Delaware suddenly a threat to Atlantic City Delaware’s modest casino industry is about to become a lot more like Atlantic City’s by introducing table games AC Press

GOP candidates for governor debate Republican gubernatorial candidates Christopher J. Christie and Steve Lonegan clashed yesterday over taxes, property-tax rebates, and the question of who would truly rein in state spending in the first formal debate of their party’s primary Inquirer Star-Ledger

Christie remembered for bitter conflicts In 1994, the GOP freeholder primary was so negative that Chris Christie’s rivals filed defamation lawsuits against him. Now, seeking the Republican nomination for governor, he says he’s older and wiser Bergen Record

Funding for defunct food-in-space program questioned Records show much of program’s money paid the salaries of two people — one with political connections and the other a woman who has been dead two years Star-Ledger Bergen Record

New Jersey Environment

PSE&G agrees to pay part of Highlands’ legal costs The energy company agrees to pay some of the legal costs for towns opposing the utility’s massive upgrade of power lines known as the Susquehanna-Roseland project Bergen Record

Utility looks to run gas pipeline through Highlands Another big utility has come to the state with a proposed project that would tear through part of the state’s Highlands region. Tennessee Gas Pipeline wants to dig a 16-mile underground extension through Vernon, W. Milford and Ringwood Star-Ledger

Enviro group sues to overturn housing approval The New Jersey Highlands Coalition says it is suing the state Department of Environmental Protection to block sewer service for the proposed, 185-unit Huntington Knolls housing development in Holland Township, Sussex County Express-Times

$600 million open space bond may go to voters NJ voters may again have the chance to vote on a bond that could help preserve historic sites and open space throughout Bergen and Passaic counties as well as the rest of the state Bergen Record

‘Seven minutes to judgment’ stirs controversy The proposal has caused an unusual split among New Jersey environmental activists NJ Newsroom

Pennsylvania Environment

PUC approves use of chloramines Pennsylvania American Water received approval from the state Public Utility Commission on Thursday to use the disinfectant chloramine at its West Shore water treatment plants The Sentinel

State rejects TVA coal ash Coal ash recovered from a major spill last December at a Tennessee power plant is too contaminated for use in reclaimed coal mines, PA officials say Centre Daily Times

PPL picks route for West End power line A new power line will snake its way through Chestnut hill Township after PPL settled on the route Pocono Record
> PUC: Omission of PPL figures was an oversight Pocono Record

Marcellus Shale plant opens A plant built to process natural gas drawn from the Marcellus Shale formation in southwestern Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia is up and running Times-Tribune

Rendell plan to tax Marcellus shale gas in doubt The red-hot drilling boom set off two years ago by the discovery of a massive natural-gas field more than a mile below Pennsylvania soil has clicked back to a low simmer Inquirer

Leasing a path to solar power Pennsylvania will start issuing rebate checks in July to help homeowners offset the cost of installing solar-powered energy systems, but don’t expect an immediate stampede to plug into the sun Inquirer

Pennsylvania Politics

Convicted former Sen. Fumo allowed to keep property Convicted former state Sen. Vincent Fumo won’t have to forfeit his Philadelphia mansion to the government in the wake of his sweeping corruption case Patriot News

Stupidity is Philly judge’s defense Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Willis W. Berry demonstrated “stupidity” by running a real estate business out of his chambers, but it did not rise to the level that the state should strip him of his robe, his attorney argues Inquirer

Outsider no more, Toomey shoring up status in GOP Bob Asher has spent the past five days telling fellow Republicans what you’d expect from a GOP national committeeman: The state party has good candidates for statewide office in 2010. What’s surprising, though, is who he includes in the mix Morning Call

Philadelphia Mayor and Council reach an accord on tax rise Dropping his push for a steep but temporary two-year increase in property taxes, Mayor Nutter yesterday agreed to back City Council’s proposal for a five-year sales-tax increase to help close Philadelphia’s $1.4 billion budget deficit Inquirer

New York/Nation/World

Gov. Paterson’s solar power plan envisions 50,000 jobs Gov. David A. Paterson will announce today that the state’s two power authorities will purchase up to 150 megawatts of solar power through a program aiming to make the state the nation’s second-biggest solar power producer Buffalo News

Expansion of New York bottle-deposit law faces delay Gov. David Paterson and state lawmakers are seeking to delay the expansion of the state-s bottle-de posit law by at least a month over concerns that bottlers can’t quickly implement the new changes Ithaca Journal

Senator: Study water for drugs U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand called Tuesday for a study to assess potential risks of trace levels of medications that have been found in drinking water supplies across the country Times Union

Lobbyists push for emissions credits Utilities, steelmakers and oil industry lobbyists have tried to ease the pain of President Obama’s push to curb global warming, and they’ve gotten an early return on the millions spent influencing Congress AP

Costly Superfund dredging set for Hudson River People look funny at David Mathis when he takes a dip off his dock in the Hudson River. Health officials have long warned people not to eat fish caught from this stretch south of the Adirondacks and swimming is unthinkable to many Poughkeepsie Journal

Our most recent posts:
For carbon sequestration, it’s test time
USGS report drills into Marcellus Shale concerns
Thousands of climate lobbyists besiege Congress
Alert: NJ’s Licensed Site Professional bill signed
Suburbs still growing but region’s cities are too

———————————————————————————-
Subscribe to EnviroPolitics for environmental and political news
in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York every business day.
PLUS: Proposed environmental regulation alerts
PLUS: Full tracking of environmental legislation
Sign up now – No-obligation, 30 full days Free Trial

Week’s top environmental news in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and beyond: May 11-15 Read More »