Newsroom & Public Notices
NJBPU Awards Major Community Energy Plan Implementation Grant to Borough of Madison
| For Immediate Release: | Contact: Tracy Munford |
| Date: 11/15/2024 | 609-940-1099 |
“The CEPI Program provides grants for communities to invest in clean energy and climate solutions,” said NJBPU President Christine Guhl-Sadovy. “Thank you to Sustainable Jersey for partnering with the NJBPU on the CEPI and to the Borough of Madison officials who are using grant funds to improve the environment, air, and efficiency at the East Wing of Hartley Dodge Memorial and historic town hall building. ”
Grant funds are also being used for the renovation of a 200-year-old historic building acquired by the Borough to house the proposed Madison Senior Center. Air source heat pumps are proposed for heating and cooling to improve occupant comfort and indoor air quality in the Hartley Dodge Memorial and Borough Hall while reducing utility bills, cutting carbon pollution, and modernizing the operation of the oldest building in Madison’s historic downtown.
“Congratulations to Madison, the first municipality in Morris County to receive an inaugural CEPI grant,” said Senator Anthony M. Bucco. “These projects embody preservation and progress, honoring our past as we build a sustainable future, and Madison’s commitment to both set a powerful example for communities across our great state.”
"The Borough of Madison is proud to have received two Community Energy Plan Implementation Awards in this inaugural year of funding. Thanks to the NJBPU and Sustainable Jersey, these grants will allow us to install air-source heat pumps in the historic Hartley Dodge Memorial and fully electrify the 199-year-old Hellar Center, which is set to undergo renovations. Madison is committed to climate action, with municipal goals that align with New Jersey’s climate strategies, and these projects represent yet another step forward," said Mayor Robert H. Conley. "I also want to commend the Madison Green Teams for their leadership in securing grants like these. Bringing in $200,000 reflects their dedication and hard work."
"In Madison, we are working on the 'three R's' for the new era of climate mitigation: Reduce, Replace, and Renew. With these two grants from the NJBPU, we will Reduce our energy use and replace gas-powered building systems with high-efficiency electric heat pumps. To supply these projects with Renewable energy, Madison will complete our first municipally owned solar installation in 2025. The energy retrofit of these historic buildings will provide comfortable, healthy spaces for our residents and Borough staff and support New Jersey's transition from carbon power to clean power. We are proud to offer a model for acting locally on climate and working cooperatively with the NJBPU to support New Jersey's Energy Master Plan,” said Councilwoman Rachel Ehrlich.
Additionally, funding will be used to replace the existing gas-fired split system in the Hartley Dodge Memorial Borough Hall with cold climate air-source heat pump equipment for heating and cooling. The HVAC retrofit will also require an energy recovery ventilator for ventilation and related improvements needed for a complete system, such as increasing the electrical service, adding controls, modifying ductwork, and framing/carpentry for the installation of the fan coil units and air handlers.
The CEPI Program was created in 2023 to assist municipalities with implementing projects to help meet the State’s climate and clean energy goals. Projects across New Jersey awarded in the inaugural year of the new CEPI Program generated significant economic and environmental benefits. Through CEPI funding, 25 electric vehicle charging stations are being installed for municipal and public use, including in high-traffic economic centers and municipal facilities. To date, the NJBPU has funded 18 projects across 16 municipalities, 11 of which are overburdened municipalities.
"It was an honor getting to provide technical assistance to all of the municipalities that participated in the program,” said Randall Solomon, Director of Sustainable Jersey. We knew going into the project that community energy planning was beneficial for municipalities; but even we were surprised at how impactful the plans created by the municipalities have been. We are still following up with municipalities to help them get started on the initiatives they included in their plans."
The CEPI and its sister program – the Community Energy Plan Grant (CEPG) Program – empower local communities to develop community energy plans that align with the State’s Energy Master Plan, the roadmap for achieving Governor Murphy’s clean energy and emissions reductions goals.
With supplemental funding from the federal Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant through the Inflation Reduction Act, a total of nearly $8 million was allocated for the two state programs, with $4.5 million earmarked for the CEPG Program and $3.4 million earmarked for the CEPI Program in FY24. Both of these programs encourage communities to create and implement localized community energy plans to combat climate change, with a specific focus on equitable energy access, energy resilience, renewable energy, and efficiency.
Collectively, awarded projects are projected to yield thousands of dollars in energy cost savings, over 250 tons of greenhouse gas emissions reductions, and considerable savings in energy usage, including electric savings of over 350,000 kWh/per year and fuel savings of 1,500 MMBtus/year.
About New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program (NJCEP)
NJCEP, established on January 22, 2003, in accordance with the Electric Discount and Energy Competition Act (EDECA), provides financial and other incentives to the State's residential customers, businesses and schools that install high-efficiency or renewable energy technologies, thereby reducing energy usage, lowering customers' energy bills and reducing environmental impacts. The program is authorized and overseen by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU), and its website is www.NJCleanEnergy.com.
About the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU)
NJBPU is a state agency and regulatory authority mandated to ensure safe, adequate and proper utility services at reasonable rates for New Jersey customers. Critical services regulated by NJBPU include natural gas, electricity, water, wastewater, telecommunications and cable television. The Board has general oversight and responsibility for monitoring utility service, responding to consumer complaints, and investigating utility accidents. To find out more about NJBPU, visit our website at www.nj.gov/bpu.
