TOM JOHNSON reports for NJ Spotlight | JULY 11, 2019
Distributed energy resources like solar arrays and CHP can help customers save while giving utilities a way to trim spending on local, long-distance infrastructure
If New Jersey is to achieve its ambitious clean-energy goals, it needs to integrate small-scale power systems, like solar systems and energy storage, into the electricity grid, according to a new study by groups working to promote renewable energy.
The study embraced much of the Murphy administration’s clean-energy agenda, particularly electrifying the transportation and building sectors, but also recommended a moratorium on new natural-gas pipelines, an issue pushed by large segments of the environmental community so far ignored by the governor’s office.
The report largely focuses on what is termed distributed energy resources (DER) — solar arrays, small wind systems, fuel cells, and combined heat and power (CHP) — typically connected to local utility distribution wires instead of more centralized transmission wires.
Savings for customers, utilities
Those systems offer the opportunity for customers to trim energy bills, as well as reducing the need for large-scale transmission investments by utilities. They also cut expenditures on utility distribution systems by eliminating the need for new substations and other infrastructure, the report said.
“If New Jersey is smart about how it integrates distributed generation, it can save ratepayers money and provide resilience,’’ said Jeanne Fox, part of the leadership team of the Center for Renewables Integration, a contributor to the study, and former president of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. “Use of Distributed Energy Resources, like solar, wind, battery storage, and smart inverters can make a big difference if New Jersey gets hit by another Sandy.’’
