by Karen Reif, Vice President of Renewables and Energy Solutions for PSE&G
View the entire newsletter for more articles: 2019 – NJAC County Biz – July
Public Service Electric and Gas Co. has a long history of providing its customers with energy efficiency programs that are designed to help save them both money and energy. These programs have historically targeted customers that are underserved with energy efficiency options, including hospitals, residential multifamily buildings and small businesses, non-profit organizations and local government agencies.
PSE&G’s Energy Saver Program has helped many government agencies, non-profits and small businesses located in Urban Enterprise Zones improve their energy efficiency by providing a free onsite energy audit, recommending energy efficiency upgrades and providing a detailed cost estimate for the work. Energy efficiency upgrades can include lighting retrofits involving sensors and controls, refrigeration, motors and HVAC equipment as well as site-specific custom projects. PSE&G pays for 100 percent of the upfront costs and the work is done by an authorized contractor. When the work is complete, participants repay only 30 percent of the total, interest free, over 36 months on their PSE&G bill (or in one lump sum payment if they prefer).
The PSE&G Energy Saver Program has helped cut energy costs at participating facilities by up to 30 percent, which is why more than 1,500 government agencies, non-profits and small businesses have participated in the program since 2009, saving $50 million in energy costs. To learn more about how the Energy Saver Program helped make the Bergen County Zoo more energy efficient, click here.
In an effort to build on this success, PSE&G included two specific initiatives, the Small, Non-Residential Efficiency Program and the Engineered Solutions Program, as part of its recent $2.8 billion, 22-program Clean Energy Future-Energy Efficiency proposal. The Clean Energy Future filing will vastly expand PSE&G’s energy efficiency reach to both residential and commercial customers and, if approved, also allow PSE&G to continue its work and help even more customers save money and energy.
In addition to the energy efficiency component of the Clean Energy Future proposal, PSE&G has also proposed extensive electric vehicle charging, energy storage and advanced metering/Energy Cloud programs. These efforts are designed to improve New Jersey’s environment, create green jobs that will help drive the economy and create new opportunities through advanced technology.
The programs support Governor Murphy’s clean energy agenda and are consistent with both the 2018 Clean Energy Act and the New Jersey Master Plan.
Although remaining funding for the current Energy Saver Program is limited, there is still an opportunity to learn more or apply at www.pseg.com/energysaver. To learn more about the Clean Energy Future proposal and other ways that PSE&G is powering progress, go to www.psegpoweringprogress.com