By Colleen Wilson, NorthJersey.com
Construction industry leaders have attacked a recent study promoted by environmentalists that pushed a green energy alternative to NJ Transit’s controversial plan to build a fossil fuel power plant for its train lines.
The study, released earlier this month, argued that a hybrid renewable energy microgrid is feasible to help power NJ Transit’s power needs during an unexpected outage from a major storm or other disruption, as opposed to the fossil-fuel-burning power plant in Kearny that the agency is currently considering.
“Environmentalists lack the basic understanding of construction around these types of projects,” argued Greg Lalevee, business manager for International Union of Operating Engineers Local 825, in a letter to NJ Transit President and CEO Kevin Corbett.
The Transitgrid project has become a flashpoint of controversy since the idea was born years ago. NJ Transit developed the idea as a way to increase resilience on its train lines after they were unable to operate for days due to Superstorm Sandy in 2012. The agency has received approval for a federal grant to cover the majority of project costs.
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