EnviroPolitics Blog

Detroit politicians divided over utility-scale solar in neighborhoods

The O’Shea solar project in Detroit, which DTE Energy touted for spurring neighborhood development, has been criticized as mostly benefiting the utility. Credit: DTE Energy

Detroit’s City Council again postponed a vote on a fund connected with the proposed solar plan this week. The plan involves building 200 acres of solar fields in six neighborhoods to offset the energy used by municipal buildings.

Councilmembers continue to voice disagreements over the first phase of the plan, which would create 104 acres of solar in the Gratiot-Findlay, State Fair and Van Dyke-Lynch neighborhoods.

Councilmember Angela Whitfield-Calloway has argued that utility-scale solar is wrong for the city and questioned why Detroit hasn’t explored placing solar on municipal buildings or developing arrays outside the city.

However, Councilmembers Fred Durhal III and Coleman A. Young II have said the plan could revitalize neighborhoods and save residents money. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan has pitched the program as a way to meet city climate goals while reducing blight and illegal dumping in vacant lots.

Homeowners in the footprint of the proposed solar fields would receive twice the fair market value of their homes or $90,000, whichever is higher, while renters will get 18 months of rent to relocate. Homeowners within community benefits areas surrounding the projects will receive $15,000 to $25,000 each for energy efficiency upgrades.

Read the full story here

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High temperatures again derailing travel plans for NJ rail customers

A month after thousands of regional passengers experienced extended delays in their daily Newark- New York commute, high temperatures today were again causing travel frustrations that spilled over to other northeast lines.

NJ Transit issued a warning yesterday on social media advising customers to plan for delays or cancelations for two or more days.

“Customers may experience delays and it may be necessary to cancel or combine trips,” the agency posted.

Nine different lines are facing delays for the Wednesday morning commute.

Atlantic City
Main-Bergen County
Montclair-Boonton
Morris & Essex
Northeast Corridor
North Jersey Coast
Pascack Valley
Raritan Valley
River Line

Officials say the heat is causing issues to air conditioning units and other electronic components. Maintenance crews are working around the clock to make repairs and restore the affected equipment.

Use this link for the latest service updates.

CBS New York’s Shosh Bedrosian spoke with riders Wednesday morning who said they were frustrated, but not surprised, by the latest service impacts.

“I think it’s a deferred investment, right? So at the end of the day, the equipment’s not modern, they’ve deferred reinvesting in the things that need to be done. It’s a deferred investment, and we’re paying the price as commuters,” one man said. “I think I’m disappointed in the state government.”

Riders also noted the delays come on the heels of a recent 15% fare hike.

Last month, Gov. Phil Murphy joined NJ Transit and Amtrak as they announced steps to address the ongoing issues and expedite investigations.

Extreme heat also causes train service delays for NYC subways

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Menendez found guilty on all counts. Sunk by weight of gold bars

By S.P. Sullivan | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, a trailblazing New Jersey Democrat whose influence spanned from Hudson County to the halls of power in Washington, was convicted Tuesday on bribery charges following a nine-week federal trial in Manhattan.

The verdict marked a long fall for Menendez, once an admired — and feared — figure in New Jersey politics whose last corruption trial ended in a hung jury in 2017. He now faces decades in prison after the jury convicted him on all 16 counts.

They included bribery, wire fraud and obstruction of justice, as well as the novel charge of conspiring to act as a foreign agent — the first time a sitting senator has faced such a charge.

At 70, the senator could spend the rest of his life behind bars.

“Obviously, I’m deeply, deeply disappointed by the jury’s decision,” Menendez told reporters outside the courthouse Tuesday.

“I have every faith that the law and the facts did not sustain that decision and that we will be successful upon appeal. I have never violated my public oath. I have never been anything but a patriot of my country and for my country.”

Soon after the verdict, Menendez’s Senate colleagues called on him to step down.

Sen. Cory Booker called it “a dark, painful day for the people of New Jersey.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, of New York, said Menendez “must now do what is right for his constituents, the Senate, and our country, and resign.”

Read the full story here

Related news stories:
Schumer, Murphy lead calls for Menendez to resign (Washington Post)
What happens next for Sen. Bob Menendez? (Philadelphia Inquirer

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NJ gets three bids for delivery of offshore wind energy

By Heather Richards, Politico

Three offshore wind developers submitted bids for power contracts in New Jersey last week, in response to the state’s latest attempt to fortify its clean energy goals amid economic headwinds.

Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind, Community Offshore Wind and Attentive Energy each proposed projects to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) ahead of a Wednesday deadline. The bids are all for projects that could power hundreds of thousands of homes.

The state is seeking up to 4,000 megawatts of offshore wind power, as part of its effort to achieve a 100 percent clean energy economy by 2035. New Jersey also aims to install 11,000 MW of offshore wind by 2040.

The solicitation comes less than a year after Ørsted canceled its massive Ocean Wind project off the Jersey Shore, spurring the state to replace those lost electrons and bolster the confidence of the nascent wind industry. Inflation continues to hound projects and still threatens the White House’s efforts to reach 30,000 megawatts of wind power in U.S. waters by the end of the decade.

The bidding war comes with high stakes for wind companies, which need state contracts to help cover the cost of building their wind farms. They are among a cohort of developers that also paid record sums for wind leases in a competitive $4.4 billion auction by the Biden administration two years ago.

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NJ offshore wind project that struck out earlier is back up at bat

By WAYNE PARRY. Associated Press

ATLANTIC CITY — A partnership that proposed an off shore wind farm in New Jersey last year but was not selected by state utility regulators to move forward with it is trying again.

Community Off shore Wind said Thursday it had submitted a bid one day earlier to build a wind farm off the state’s southern coast. It would generate 1.3 gigawatts of electricity, or enough to power 500,000 homes.

Its project would be located 37 miles off Barnegat Light on Long Beach Island. The companies involved did not say how many wind turbines would be included.

The project is a partnership between Essen, Germany-based RWE and New York-based National Grid. They previously applied to build a project in roughly the same area but were not chosen by the state Board of Public Utilities to proceed with it.

“Community Off shore Wind was not awarded a project in New Jersey’s third solicitation, but this solicitation provides an exciting new opportunity,” company spokeswoman Molly Gilson said.

The companies would not say how, if at all, this bid differs from the one it submitted last year.

If it is selected, the project could begin construction in 2027 or 2028 and become operational by 2031, the companies said.

Read the full story here

If you liked this post, you’ll love our daily environmental newsletter, EnviroPolitics. It’s packed daily with the latest news, commentary, and legislative updates from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware…and beyond. Don’t take our word for it, try it free for an entire month. No obligation.

NJ offshore wind project that struck out earlier is back up at bat Read More »

Enviros threaten multi-state suit to protect Atlantic Sturgeon

Environmentalists are threatening to sue Delaware, New Jersey and New York under the Endangered Species Act for allegedly allowing the commercial fishing industry to kill Atlantic sturgeon as bycatch in the Delaware River.

Read the full story here

Enviros threaten multi-state suit to protect Atlantic Sturgeon Read More »

Detroit politicians divided over utility-scale solar in neighborhoods

High temperatures again derailing travel plans for NJ rail customers

Extreme heat also causes train service delays for NYC subways

Menendez found guilty on all counts. Sunk by weight of gold bars

NJ gets three bids for delivery of offshore wind energy

NJ offshore wind project that struck out earlier is back up at bat

Enviros threaten multi-state suit to protect Atlantic Sturgeon

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