The news agency Reuters reports that, while California may be the Golden State, it's New Jersey where U.S. residents get the best deal on their solar power systems.
A new survey by Global Solar Center , which endeavored to provide an "apples to apples" comparison for the cost of solar power in all 50 states, found that New Jersey had the fastest payback - 1.5 years - for residential solar systems, followed by New York and Delaware with paybacks of three and six years, respectively.
So what does that actually mean:
"To put this all in context, five years ago you couldn't find a state with less than a 10 or 15 year payback," said Hidary, who also is a board member of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. He said the steep fall in solar panel prices and more government incentives have helped speed up the return on investing in a solar power system.
Going from a 15 year payback to 1.5 years is amazing progress.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has approved the construction of three out of 59 vital sewer system and drinking water infrastructure projects for the tri-county area made possible by the state's $840 million package of federal and state aid.
The first so far approved is Mount Laurel's Municipal Utility Authority, which is ready to initiate the bidding process on an estimated $5.3-million project that will put solar panels on the township's main wastewater pumping station and drinking water well off Ramblewood Parkway.
Because the project will be bonded with federal stimulus money, half the loan doesn't need to be repaid. The other half, borrowed at a low-market rate of 1.2 percent over 20 years (the most recent quote) through the New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust, means that the loan will virtually pay for itself in terms of energy savings over the course of the next eight years.
An additional $300,000 a year in RECs (renewable energy credits), sold to electricity supplier Public Service Enterprise Group to meet its state-mandated renewable portfolio standard (RPS) of 22.5 percent by 2021 (2.12 percent of that strictly from solar), will be the icing on the cake.
Here's how it will work and how much they will save:
Power for the wastewater treatment station, which handles 20 percent of the municipality's wastewater, and the well - which provides about 15 percent of the drinking water - will be provided via a system of ground mounted solar panels delivering 529 kilowatts whose installation will save the community about $90,000 in electricity costs.
According to Mount Laurel's Municipal Utility Authority (MUA) Executive Director Pam Carolan, the use of the solar panels to provide electricity means that, over a year, the amount of electricity purchased from Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G) will be zero.
And it's not just one town that is working to move in the direction of using more renewable energy for their services:
The project is only one of many in the works, as other municipalities and towns like Camden, Camden County, Deptford and Bordentown City consider their own sewer system and drinking water projects for solar upgrades's recent initiative to install solar power units on 200,000 utility poles in PSE&G's service territory, which includes New Jersey's six largest cities and roughly 300 rural and suburban communities - a project being billed as the largest pole-attached solar installation in the world - and you have a major case of greening that extends beyond the state's reputation for truck farms delivering produce to Pennsylvania to the west and New York to the north.
Most of the efforts so far are in California, New Jersey and Connecticut, states that offer generous incentives. Executives say they would like to convert many more. How quickly they can do so depends on government policy because retailers rely on tax incentives to offset the cost.
I'm sure that Governor Corzine and his policies had nothing to do with any of this development and increase in the use of solar energy. That's probably why we haven't seen releases praising these developments, merely statements that criticizing other areas. There's always more to do, but it's not like we're not doing anything in this state as people are being led to believe.
NJN devoted their first three segments of the news program last night to the energy debate in the Governor's race. Here is the video and then I'll discuss some of the highlights after:The first segment had Michael Aron covering Chris Christie's energy event. At the end of the segment, they showed Christie's SUV driving away from the event and said that he refused to take questions, what a surprise. Aron even noted that it's strange to see a candidate roll out a major policy plan and not be willing to talk about it. They interviewed the Solar trade association chief who said he thinks they need to hear something stronger than what they have heard.
The second segment covered Governor Corzine's energy event. Corzine said Christie's attacks are ridiculous. He said that NJ is installing and producing solar panels at a rate that is only surpassed by California, who is 5 times as big. Talking about Christie's attacks, the Governor called them:
A political massage of something that doesn't relate to the facts.
The third segment brought in the director of Sales and marketing for Sun Farm Network, Pam Frank. While she said she didn't want to take sides in the argument between Christie and Corzine, she says that NJ has been an undisputed leader in the clean energy agenda. She says in the last decade we've laid the foundation for what will be phenomenal growth in NJ. She talked about the potential for job creation in the industry, past what Christie argues in his plans. She wouldn't get into the differing statistics the campaigns are using, but said that NJ has done phenomenal work to lay a unique policy framework, really what she thinks is the only competitive market framework in the world for Solar energy.
So while Christie continues to complain, people in the industry and even Christie's own campaign co-chairs acknowledge that people are trying to model themselves after what New Jersey has already been doing.
Chris Christie released his energy plan yesterday and while we will certainly have time to look at the specifics, I wanted to point out a fundamental disagreement that Republican members of Congress and co-chairs of his own campaign have with the party standard bearer in NJ.
In announcing his plan, Christie tried to attack Corzine saying he hadn't done enough, while also trying to hook himself to the Obama train. But statements by Republican members of Congress, in justifying their support for the Energy legislation, stood in square opposition to the argument that Corzine hasn't helped New jersey lead the way. First Leonard Lance:
"The fact of the matter is New Jersey and the Northeast are well ahead of the curve on many of the key elements of the legislation before the House.
"Here at home, the state of New Jersey is already subject to limits on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants under the ten-state Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. And our state renewable portfolio standard is more aggressive than the federal program contained in the bill.
"New Jersey serves as a national model for its investments in new, clean energy technologies that have reduced greenhouse gas emissions and created thousands of jobs. I heard from a number of New Jersey's leading businesses that firmly believe today's legislation would strengthen our state economy through innovative and sustainable job creation. It is time for other states to follow New Jersey's leadership and do their share to set limits on greenhouse gas emissions and accelerate development of low-carbon energy sources and green jobs."
Follow New Jersey's leadership he says. Maybe Lance needs to talk to Christie and bring him up to speed. Joining them in that conversation could be Congressman Frank LoBiondo, who also recognizes New Jersey's role, under the leadership of Governor Corzine in leading the way:
"This is by no means a perfect bill but, for New Jersey businesses and families, many of the federal standards that will be created are mirroring state standards long on the books. For the past decade, New Jersey has been forward-looking in its energy policy and sought to establish diverse, renewable alternative sources of energy to meet the state's needs. From the development of biofuels based on crop waste and planning for additional nuclear reactors, to building small and large-scale wind farms and countless solar panel projects, individuals and municipalities recognized opportunities and took action.
"In the process, new local businesses were founded and jobs were created in the emerging 'green industry' here in New Jersey. What must happen next is the growth of domestic manufacturing of the materials needed for alternative energy production, such as solar cells, wind turbines and environmentally-friendly buildings. This legislation rightly focuses on growing that manufacturing base, creating green jobs and finally establishing our energy independence. The positive effects will be felt nationally and here in South Jersey. These are objectives I have long believed and advocated for as part of a national energy policy."
And four of those ten years were under the leadership of Governor Corzine, who Chris Christie is criticizing. So Chris Christie supports the federal efforts by President Obama, which members of his own party say were modeled after the efforts of our state, under the leadership of the person he is criticizing in the process. This must be more Christie logic.
On the heels of Chris Christie putting out a video talking about his plans for energy, the Corzine campaign is out with a web ad showing some more contradictions for Christie. As the Corzine campaign puts it, he'll say anything and you can't believe any of it. Let's go to the video:
A coalition of New Jersey solar energy businesses, electrical contractors, independent electricians, and solar energy workers is urging Governor Jon Corzine to veto (A-3372), legislation that the group says will not only drive up costs for ratepayers, but cost the state hundreds of new green energy jobs as well.
In a press release, the coalition said the legislation imposes an "oppressive new mandate" on all renewable energy and energy efficiency installation projects in New Jersey, with the sole exception of residential projects, by mandating that state "prevailing wage" rates be paid to workers on all such projects.
Prevailing wages, the coalition says, are synonymous with union wage rates and "often forces businesses to hire union labor and sub-contractors at additional cost."
Oh the horror, paying people well. This is the argument for everything lately. It's amazing how businesses want people to buy their products, but then object to anything that would pay them enough to afford to buy. They go on to say why the Governor must act now:
This legislation must be vetoed by Governor Corzine. It is anti-solar because it will result in increasing the labor costs of solar by 180%. It contradicts the Governor's and Legislature's policies of growing solar and reducing global warming gases, " said Dennis Wilson, vice president in New Jersey for the Mid-Atlantic Solar Energy Energy Industries Association, a trade group representing solar energy companies, manufacturers, and solar project developers in NJ, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.
Anti-solar? What, the sun won't come out if workers get paid well? Does that mean it's pro-solar to remain on non union foreign produced oil, because that seems to be working so well. Or maybe they'd just like all the solar incentives and benefits with none of the requirements and regulations. I'm no expert, but with some heavy hitting sponsors in the Senate like Buono, Sweeney, Weinberg and Baroni, I can't see this one getting vetoed.
The Department of the Interior is holding the only East Coast public meeting and hearing on plans for offshore drilling Monday in daylong sessions at the Atlantic City Convention Center, and interest groups are mobilizing their members to show up and speak up.
Interior Secretary Kenneth Salazar will present findings from the newest federal Minerals Management Service on the status of energy sources on the continental shelf, including wind and tidal generation and oil and natural gas exploration. New Jersey ocean environment groups and held their own event in Atlantic City Wednesday to call attention to the Monday meeting and urge the public to turn out.
Findings from the public meetings could shape a final decision by the Obama administration on whether to grant five-year leases on the outer continental shelf to energy companies.
There was bi-partisan representation at the Wednesday event:
"We don't want oil rigs along the coast and we can't accept the risk of oil spills in the ocean tides or on our beaches," said Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-N.J., who was there with Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-N.J. and Sens. Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez, both D?N.J.
A 5-Year Program consists of a schedule of oil and gas lease sales indicating the size, timing and location of proposed leasing activity the Secretary determines will best meet national energy needs for the five year period following its approval. An area must be included in the current 5-Year Program in order to be offered for leasing. Section 18 (132.38 KB PDF) of the OCS Lands Act (286.05 KB PDF) prescribes the major steps (17.68 KB PDF) involved in developing a 5-Year Program including extensive public comment steps. A 5-Year Program balances energy needs and environmental considerations.
At a recent meeting, Salazar said the report on Outer Continental Shelf energy resources found huge information gaps about the location and extent of offshore oil and gas resources.
"Along the Atlantic Coast, for example, the seismic data we have is twenty-five years old," he said. "How should we gather the information we currently lack about our offshore oil and gas resources? How do we manage the costs of gathering seismic data? Are there areas on the OCS that should be of priority for information collection?"
Can you guess from those questions how the Obama Administration hopes to frame the "discussion" that proceeds from the meeting in Atlantic City and other cities?
I'm not sure but, if I were an executive at ExxonMobil, I think I'd be a bit concerned.
Every fifth M& M candy that comes out of the Mars Snackfood US factory in Hackettstown will soon be made with solar energy.
That was the way Tom Marshall, a member of the town zoning board of adjustment, broke down the fact that 20 percent of the factory's power needs could be drawn from a "solar garden..."
Here's how they plan to make it happen:
Mars Snackfood plans to use 29,000 panels on 14 acres at its Hackettstown facility to generate 2 megawatts of electricity. As pitched to the zoning board, construction is expected to begin in April and conclude about August, said Marshall, from the zoning board.
The field of panels is planned behind the factory on Route 517 and far enough away that the closest residents would not see them, Marshall said.
"There's going to be very little disturbance," he said. "It's hard to imagine a project more environmentally sensitive than this use."
