New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy today announced plans to turn a hole in the ground, known in New Brunswick as the hub, into a large incubator for scientific and technological research.
Michael Aron has the story for NJTV News.
Plans unveiled for innovation ‘hub’ in New Brunswick Read More »
Fundamental changes to ways electricity and gas will be delivered are in the offing, according to experts
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| Steve Corneli, principal, Strategies for Clean Energy Innovation |
Tom Johnson reports for NJ Spotlight:
With the state pursuing more aggressive clean-energy policies, the energy sector will undergo a major transformation that will require fundamental changes in how and when electricity and gas are delivered.
At least that seemed to be the consensus of experts during a NJ Spotlight roundtable event Friday that focused on modernizing the state’s energy infrastructure, an issue fraught with challenges and not insignificant costs.
It also comes at a time of rapid technological changes and the need to upgrade an aging power grid to cope with integrating cleaner, but intermittent, energy sources into the mix, while facing pressure to make the entire system more resilient, the panelists agreed.
Former Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer, a keynote speaker whose city is now developing a microgrid to deal with future storms after being battered by Hurricane Sandy, stressed the importance of energy resiliency.
“We need to persuade the public that this is an investment that needs to be made,’’ Zimmer said. “Energy resiliency investments will save us in the long run.’’
Her community is one 13 New Jersey municipalities now assessing microgrids, a way of enhancing resiliency and reliability by relying on distributed energy resources, a localized way of providing power.
“We are looking at tremendous changes happening — really a transformation of the industry over the next five, 10, and 15 years,’’ said David Daly, president and chief operating officer for Public Service Electric & Gas, the state’s largest utility.
Read the full story
Mapping NJ’s energy infrastructure of the future Read More »
ACLU uses a detainee in New Jersey to make its case.
Matt Katz reports for WNYC:
The American Civil Liberties Union and other human and civil rights organizations filed a class-action lawsuit Thursday against the Trump Administration for what it describes as the unconstitutional, indefinite detention of immigrants fleeing persecution and seeking asylum. And it’s using a detainee in New Jersey to make its case.
The suit says a man identified only as N.J.J.R. was beaten in his native Venezuela because he opposed the government. He arrived in the United States in October seeking refuge, but after he declared asylum he was detained as his case was adjudicated. Though N.J.J.R. proved to asylum officers that he had a credible fear of persecution, agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not release him on parole to a sponsor, who had offered to give him a place to stay. He is still being held at Essex County Jail.
In fact the ACLU said 100 percent of detained asylum seekers in New Jersey were denied parole from February to September of last year — a sharp departure from past practice. ACLU said the Newark field office of ICE is among the toughest in the nation in withholding parole. John Tsoukaris, director of the Newark field office, was named in the suit.
Read the full story
Trump sued for detaining aslylum-seekers indefinitely Read More »
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| Lincoln Financial Field solar wing facing I-95
Sandy Bauers reports for Philly.com:
Going green isn’t just for the Eagles
Many companies have greened up their acts in ways that aren’t readily apparent – their lighting, for instance.
And then there’s the Philadelphia Eagles. They have 11,108 solar panels covering an entire side of their building, Lincoln Financial Field, and over some of the parking lot. The Eagles say it’s the largest solar power plant in the NFL, producing 40 percent of the energy the stadium uses. On breezy days, 14 wind turbines atop the upper levels – the things that look a bit like giant egg beaters – generate more energy.
The Eagles divert virtually all of their waste from landfills, said Norman Vossschulte, the team’s Director of Fan Experience. Post-consumer food scraps go to a Montgomery County composting operation, Two Particular Acres. Other waste is sent to a facility that separates trash and burns it for energy.
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Philly workplaces join the Eagles in going sustainably green Read More »
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In the special election in Pa.’a 18th District, Democrat Conor Lamb beat Republican Rick Saccone by fewer than 1,000 votes
Liz Navratil reports for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
The Pennsylvania Republican Party has asked the Department of State to investigate what it described as “a number of irregularities” in the 18th District special election.
Attorney Joel Frank, in a letter dated Friday, outlined five areas of concern, ranging from calls about machine errors to confusion about polling places and a dispute over whether a Republican attorney could watch part of the elections process.
“In the interest of transparency and nonpartisanship, we ask that you consider assigning this task to a Commonwealth elections official capable of conducting an impartial investigation in light of the positions you’ve taken on ongoing redistricting litigation,” Frank wrote.
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Pa. GOP wants probe of ‘irregularities’ in special election Read More »
At its March 22 meeting, the New Jersey Assembly’s Telecommunications & Utilities Committee will focus on legislation to improve the operations of water supply systems.
“The public deserves the peace of mind to know that their water quality is not compromised or contaminated,” said committee chairman Wayne DeAngelo.
“We need to ensure that there is a system in place to have the best qualified professionals performing critical functions and to encourage public awareness of the operations funded by ratepayers.
“Most importantly, we need to notify residents quickly so that they can take needed action to protect themselves from possible contamination without incurring additional costs.”
The committee will receive testimony from invited guests and consider the following bills:
* A3352 – Requires public water systems to provide certain notice of boil water notices and violations of drinking water quality standards
* A3354 – Removes certain requirements for professional engineers to take examination to operate water supply and wastewater treatment systems
* A2429 – Requires water suppliers to reimburse residential customers for drinking water testing under certain circumstances.
The meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. in Room 9 of the State House Annex in Trenton.
NJ Assembly committee to focus on drinking-water safety Read More »
