New Jersey Reaches Another Clean Energy Milestone with 4 Gigawatts of Solar Installed

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities on July 15 announced that the state has exceeded 4 gigawatts of solar power and 157,000 solar installations statewide, adequate to deliver electricity to more than 500,000 households yearly. Previously, the state surpassed 3 gigawatts of solar power and 116,000 solar installations in October 2019.

The state is expected to double its solar capacity in the next four years to achieve the goal of 100 percent clean energy by 2050. Solar-based initiatives have played a significant role in New Jersey’s clean energy future to ensure equitable access to clean energy through programs such as community solar, according to the press release from the board.

Among the various solar initiatives, the board staff is expected to release the permanent Community Solar Energy Program proposal in the third quarter of the year. The program enables utility customers to receive a credit on their utility bills by virtually connecting to a solar energy project within their service territory. Subsequently, utility customers will be able to access clean energy generation through community solar projects. During the first and second years of the pilot program in 2019 and 2020, the agency permitted 45 and 105 project applications equivalent to almost 78 and 165 megawatts, respectively, in solar energy capacity.

Furthermore, the board plans to expand its Competitive Solar Incentive Program to include large net-metered solar systems. The initiative provides incentives for grid supply projects and net metered non-residential projects over 5 megawatts. The staff has released a straw proposal and held three public comment sessions and expects the initiative to be set in motion in the latter half of 2022. The agency is also focused on developing and implementing a dual-use solar pilot program and is expected to release a straw proposal in 2022.

The agency will continue to review ideas to enable faster interconnections and greater integration of distributed energy resources as part of its grid modernization proceeding. The agency released a draft report with commendations for interconnection reform at a public meeting in June, and it will continue to work on modernising the grid.