Dive Brief:

• New Jersey regulators last week approved $5.3 million in incentives for energy efficiency upgrades at six entities, with a goal of saving more than 19.5 MWh per year.
• The state's incentives will back a total investment of $13.4 million from a range of companies and one state agency.
• The incentives are being provided through New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program, and within that program, its Large Energy Users Program is designed to promote investment in energy-efficiency projects among the state’s largest commercial, industrial and municipal facilities.

Dive Insight:

What do a pair of supermarkets, a cranberry sauce supplier and a state transit agency have in common? Almost nothing.

Except they will all be receiving incentives from New Jersey for energy efficiency upgrades, part of the state's efforts to support clean energy and efficiency. The $5.3 million will go to a diverse group of businesses installing combined heat and power systems, cogeneration projects, high efficiency heatpumps, and more.

“A wide cross-section of New Jersey ratepayers are benefiting from the financial incentives offered through New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program,” New Jersey Board of Public Utilities President Richard Mroz said in a statement. “As more and more residents and businesses participate in energy efficiency and conservation efforts, the benefits are shared by all ratepayers in the form of lower energy costs."

NJ TRANSIT was approved for $928,880 in incentives through the Large Energy Users Program. The agency will install 451 LED lights, built-in occupancy and daylight sensors, wireless networking and integrated controls that optimize light levels and fixture operation. The $1.24 million project is expected to result in 3.4 MWh in annual electricity savings.

The pair of supermarkets – Eickhoff Supermarkets and Village Supermarkets – will each receive $900,000 through the Combined Heat and Power & Fuel Cells Program. Each store is installing a 450 kW cogeneration unit, and the project is expected to produce 7.2 MWh of electricity and yield $310,502 in annual savings.

Clement Pappas & Co. (the sauce supplier) will get more than $1.4 million via the Combined Heat and Power & Fuel Cells Program. The company will replace two steam boilers with a 1 MW natural gas co-generation unit at their Bridgeton, N.J., bottling facility.

"From LED lights to onsite energy generation, New Jersey businesses and state agencies are installing equipment that allow them to save on their energy bills, improve the environment and become more resilient in the event of a power disruption," Mroz said.

Last year in an effort to bolster investments in efficiency, the state launched a one-year pilot aimed at boosting investor confidence in the projects by incorporating increased verification and measurement standards. New Jersey became the first to incorporate the Environmental Defense Fund’s Investor Confidence Project protocols into an existing energy efficiency program.