NJ eyes faster payback for water utilities that make infrastructure upgrades

The state is spelling out details of a proposal that will allow water utilities to recover costs for improving their water mains, hydrants and other infrastructure more quickly from customers without as much regulatory scrutiny.

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Gas Utilities Look for Rapid Recovery of Costs for Upgrading Infrastructure

The proposal, in the works for the past several months, would address a priority of Board of Public Utilities (BPU) President Lee Solomon, who has often said that the next big crisis facing New Jersey will be the cost of upgrading its aging water infrastructure.

With New Jersey facing as much $20 billion to repair its water and wastewater infrastructure, the streamlined payment mechanism is seen as a way of prodding water companies to speed up much needed repairs. If upgrades are done sooner rather than later, the long-term costs to ratepayers will be much less, according to advocates of the proposal.

via njspotlight.com

The proposal that the New Jersey BPU is weighing would allow water utilities to pass along to their customers the cost of routine improvements such as water main replacements. It's been tried in Pennsylvania, where customers pay up to 3.20 per month in addition to their regular water charges.

Posted via email from Enviropolitics Blog on Posterous

Funding for Barnegat Bay could be in jeopardy in '12

To the list of perils facing Barnegat Bay, like jellyfish swarms and disappearing fish, there might be a new one to add: fiscal austerity in Washington.

Money for restoring coastal bays and rivers could be up for grabs as Congress grapples with a 2012 budget in the coming month, said Richard Innes, executive director of the Association of National Estuary Programs.

"We got level funding for 2011 which was great. For 2012, it's anyone's guess, because of this (deficit reduction) deal they've made," said Innes, whose association includes the federally funded Barnegat Bay Partnership.

Bay advocates recently got help from Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-N.J., who wrote a letter to House leadership to support continued funding for the National Estuary Program. They are counting too on help from Barnegat Bay's congressmen, Reps. Chris Smith and Jon Runyan, both R-N.J.

via courierpostonline.com

Just when you thought there couldn't be one more problem facing New Jersey's most written-about body of water...

Posted via email from Enviropolitics Blog on Posterous

Editorial sides with Christie on fracking over Corbett

[Updated at 12:58 a.m.on 9/4/11 to include link to letter responding to Star-Ledger editorial]

The Express-Times, a daily newspaper located in Easton, PA, which also covers Garden State news and issues for readers in Warren County, NJ, likes New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's idea of imposing a one-year ban on the use of fracking to drill for natural gas.

An editorial appearing in today's edition of the paper says:

Condemnation of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was swift, loud and wrong, following his decision to conditionally veto a proposed ban on hydraulic fracturing in the Garden State, opting instead for a one-year moratorium.

A moratorium will allow state officials to get a better read on what’s going on in Washington, where federal agencies are studying the side-effects of “fracking” — the name given to drilling deep into Marcellus shale formations and injecting a water-chemical-sand mix into the rock under high pressure to drive natural gas to the surface.  

New Jersey is in no imminent danger of being invaded by energy companies in search of frackable shale deposits. Unlike New York and Pennsylvania, it lacks the geologic make-up that drillers are looking to tap. 

Christie’s one-year embargo is a measured response — an environmentally sound decision compared to the come-and-get-it, no-extraction-tax approach taken by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett. Whether Corbett even opts for limited fees to cover environmental damage, road wear and other community impact remains to be seen. He’s mulling the findings of his Marcellus task force.

Some of the fallout of fracking has been demonstrated in the northern tier of Pennsylvania, where residential wells have been contaminated by methane and a few gas wells have popped their corks. The greater dangers are the possibilities of natural gas seeping into aquifers, wastewater and chemicals being spilled or illegally dumped, and contamination of the Delaware and Susquehanna rivers, which provide drinking water to hundreds of thousands of people.

Including water intakes in New Jersey, which is why Christie’s position on fracking is more than symbolic. The governor and the Legislature can revisit the issue in a year, when they know more about it, and reconsider an outright ban. It’s shameful that Pennsylvania is in such a rush to sign away its carbon-based bonanza without knowing more about the dangers and long-range costs to people who have no mineral-rights claims.

Related:
Total ban on fracking in N.J. the only safe choice

What do you think?  Use the comment box below to make your case.  If one is not visible, click the tiny 'comments' link to activate it.  


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New Jersey cuts red tape on hurricane debris cleanup

Last week, in anticipation of the arrival of Hurricane Irene, New Jersey took steps to allow the suspension of some of its solid waste regulations in order to help speed the cleanup of the debris that the hurricane was expected to leave in its wake.

The action proved timely, as Irene trailed northeast along the New Jersey coast Saturday night, leaving behind what Governor Chris Christie estimated to be 'billions' of dollars worth of damage.

Some rivers, still rising on Sunday, were expected to crest on Monday, adding to the damage in numerous communities (see video of flooding in Manville, NJ).

If you are a county or municipal official--including solid waste and recycling coordinators--you may find the following information to be of particular value as you participate in the work of cleaning up after the hurricane.

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin signed an Administrative Order on August 26, to suspend certain regulations pertaining to waste transportation and disposal. Under the order, the DEP may temporarily, allow for the:

 Use of currently unregistered vehicles for waste transport
 Exceedance of waste tonnage limits
 Expanded hours of facility operation

Martin was careful to stress that the suspensions would  be only issues "in very limited circumstances, on a case-by-case basis, provided adequate environmental safeguards are maintained."

For details, see Compliance Advisory #2011-10

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Have an opinion on this?  Use the comment box below.  If one is not visible, activate it by clicking on the tiny 'comments' link, also below. 

Exelon shuts down NJ nuclear plant as Irene nears

Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station/GettyImage

As Hurricane Irene approached, the nation’s oldest nuclear reactor was shut down tonight.

Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station is located in Lacey Township, just a few miles from the New Jersey coast.

Chicago-based owner Exelon Corp. decided to shut down plant even before high winds from the storm arrived, the Associated Press reported.

 "The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says Oyster Creek would have to shut down if onsite winds topped 85 mph.

But plant vice president Michael Massaro says it is prudent to do the shutdown early.

It went offline at 5 p.m.

"The plant went into service in 1969, and provides power for 600,000 homes in southern New Jersey."

Follow our Hurricane coverage on Twitter at: @frankbrill and @enviropolitics

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Trenton-based enviro-engineering firm's new president

Lahbib Chibani, Ph.D., P.E., has been promoted to President of Sadat Associates, Inc., an environmental science and engineering consulting firm located in Trenton, NJ..

The former President of the company, Marwan M. Sadat, Ph.D., P.E., will now serve as the firm's Chief Executive Officer.

Dr. Chibani has been with SAI for 22 years, most recently as Senior Vice President of Engineering. He has provided both engineering and project management services for many of SAIs most successful projects, including the Jersey Gardens Mall brownfield redevelopment project in Elizabeth, NJ, and The Tides at Seaboard in North Wildwood, NJ.

The Jersey Gardens Mall project was awarded the USEPAs Phoenix Award in 2001 for Region II, and was ranked nationally. The Tides at Seaboard was awarded the 2003 Award for Excellence in the environmental category from the New Jersey Business and Industry Association.

Born in Morocco, Dr. Chibani has worked extensively both in the US and abroad, in countries as diverse as Algeria, the Ivory Coast, Mexico, Colombia, Yemen, Jordan, Tunisia, Morocco, Armenia, the West Bank, and Saudi Arabia. He has directed and/or managed a variety of environmental projects, in such diverse areas as solid waste, hazardous waste, bio-remediation, maritime pollution, and site planning and redevelopment. He has extensive experience in computer modeling of civil and environmental engineering processes and financial and institutional studies.


Dr. Chibani performed his post-doctoral studies at the Computational Mechanics Institute in the UK. He received his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois, his M.S. in Civil, Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering from Rutgers University, and his B.S. in Civil Engineering from Mohamed V University in Rabat, Morocco.

Founded in 1986 by former New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Assistant Commissioner Marwan M. Sadat, Ph.D., P.E., Sadat Associates handles a wide variety of environmental and civil engineering projects in the areas of geotechnical engineering, brownfield redevelopment, risk assessment, solid waste, landfill design and closure, hazardous waste, wastewater management and design, groundwater management, water supply design, air quality analysis, regulatory compliance, and dam safety.

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Court throws out fraud suit filed against LEED program

                  Updated  at 2:55 p.m. on August 8, 2011 to add related news stories

""The U.S. District Court in New York City yesterday (August 17, 2011) dismissed a lawsuit charging the U.S. Green Building Council with false advertising over its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, "the Environmental Leader blog  reports.

"Henry Gifford, an energy efficiency professional, filed the class action suit in October. He alleged that USGBC has falsely claimed that its rating system makes buildings save energy. Gifford has claimed that buildings can receive the highest LEED ratings regardless of how much energy or water they use.

"USGBC said the court dismissed the federal false advertising claims “with prejudice,” meaning plaintiffs are barred from filing a new suit based on those claims, and also dismissed the plaintiffs’ false advertising claims made under state law.

"The court held that none of the plaintiffs in the action had alleged or could allege any legal interest that would be protected by their lawsuit, the council said."

Read the entire story at: USGBC Beats LEED False Advertising Claims

Are you a member of the U.S. Green Building Council?  Or have had some other involvement with the organization's LEED program?  What do you think about it? Share your thoughts in the Comment box below. If one is not visible, activate it by clicking on the tiny 'comments' link. 

Related:
$100M Lawsuit Against LEED Dismissed by Federal Judge
Gifford Lawsuit Against USGBC, LEED Dismissed 

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New Jersey considering a floor price for solar credits

[Updated on  8/22/11 to add two related stories]

The number of new solar energy systems generating electricity in New Jersey more than doubled last year.

That's good news, right?  Yes, but, as usual, there's a catch.

New Jersey uses a market-based, supply-and-demand system to subsidize the cost of solar panel installations. It has helped to propel the state into the #2 spot nationally (only California has more solar panels). Read below how the system works and you'll understand the 'catch.'

A simplified version of how New Jersey's SREC system works 

1. When a business, town, school or individual homeowner has solar panels installed, they receive a certain number of Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SRECs) based on the amount of energy the system will generate.
   
   
2. The owners of energy plants that emit greenhouse-gas-producing carbon dioxide (CO2) are required by the state to buy enough SRECs each year to offset the amount of CO2 that their plants release to  the atmosphere.
   
   
3. The price of the SRECs depends on the number of solar systems in operation. With fewer systems, the demand for available certificates pushes the price that power plant operators are willing to pay for the credits higher. Similarly, as the number of systems increase, the demand (and price) for individual SRECs decreases.

The 'catch' is that, as New Jerseyans continue to install solar panels, SREC prices continue to fall--and they're falling fast. Once pegged at $600, individual credits were trading this week at $115, according to Flett Exchange, which tracks the market.

Without the prospect of a substantial SREC price, the cost of installing a solar systems becomes less attractive to homeowners and others. So solar installations slow down and fossil-fueled energy use continues to grow.

What can be done to improve the value of solar certificates?

The state's Board of Utilities, which regulates and promotes clean energy programs, is giving thought to setting a floor price for SRECs, according to a news story in yesterday's Star-Ledger. 

Meanwhile, in the state legislature, the Energy and Environment Committee held several hearings on S-2317, sponsored by committee chairman Bob Smith. The bill would accelerate by one year state requirements for how much renewable energy must be produced (portfolio standards), forcing power companies to buy more SRECs. The bill passed the Senate in late June and awaits action in the Assembly.

If you haven't already, use the signup form in the upper right-hand column to subscribe to this blog. We'll keep you up to date on regulatory, legislative and other developments that will influence the future of solar energy in New Jersey.

Related:  
New Jersey solar-energy boom hurts market for credits 
Renewable Energy Credits: Why Have New Jersey SREC Prices Plummeted?

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Follow today's hearing on NJ's energy plan on Twitter

The New Jersey Legislature is not broadcasting today's joint Senate and Assembly environmental committee hearing on the state Board of Public Utilities'proposed

Energy Management Plan.

But some attendees in the audience are posting updates on Twitter.

If you're on Twitter, use hashtag #njemp (for New Jersey Energy Management Plan)
to follow along.

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NJ appeals court: Environment trumps housing for poor

    [Updated at 4 p.m. on 8/16/11 and at 4:18 p.m. to add two related news stories]

For months, advocates for the poor and advocates for the environment, usually liberal soul-mates, have been butting heads in New Jersey over providing for affordable housing in the state's environmentally sensitive Highlands region.

Yesterday, the affordable housing advocates came away with the headache while the enviros emerged smiling as a state appellate court ruled that development restrictions in the Highlands Act can proceed.

The Star-Ledger reported that housing advocates slammed the decisions, saying the Highlands plan does nothing to spur construction of homes or apartments for low- and moderate-income residents.

"There are no regulations at all in the Highlands," said Kevin Walsh, counsel to the Fair Share Housing Center. "The Highlands Council is making things up as they go along. That’s not the way our government is supposed to work."

Eileen Swan, executive director of the Highlands Council, said the council is "very pleased" with the ruling.

"It affirms our work," she said. "The method by which the regional master plan was adopted was more rigorous than any rule making. We are always very careful to go back to the Highlands Act and make sure we are always consistent with it."

Read the entire Star-Ledger story here. NJ Spotlight story here  Bergen Record story here.

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Our most recent posts: 

Which governor is ditching renewable energy?
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Wind energy proposal leaves NJ regulators guessing
Up next: Moving PA's Marcellus Shale gas to market
 
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Which governor is ditching renewable energy?

A major state newspaper yesterday reported:


"The __________ administration is de-emphasizing renewable energy and energy conservation, eliminating programs created by previous Democratic and Republican administrations as it focuses on natural gas..."

How would you fill in that blank?

If you live in New Jersey you'll probably answer: Christie.

The administration of Governor Chris Christie has just finished a series of public hearings on a revised Energy Management Plan which would reduce the state's goal of using energy generated from alternative sources like wind and solar. The proposed plan supports what the governor's office has been actively pushing--the construction of new power plants fueled by natural gas--and also leaves the door open to the expansion of some of the state's nuclear energy facilities. Christie also is withdrawing the state from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) which provides funding for alternative energy technologies.

However, if you live in Pennsylvania, your likely answer would be: Corbett.

Which is correct?

Probably both.

Yesterday's story, from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, reports how the administration of Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett 

"quietly but systematically...has all but shut down the state Department of Environmental Protection's Office of Energy and Technology Deployment -- the state's primary energy office -- and removed directors and reassigned staff in the Office of Energy Management in the Department of General Services and the Governor's Green Government Council."

The newspaper says that the administration has also "forbidden state executive agencies from signing contracts that support clean energy supply."

Why?

"The administration says merely that any changes are part of a new approach of Gov. Tom Corbett's energy executive, Patrick Henderson, who has been overseeing development of the administration's Marcellus Shale gas policy. But environmental organizations and former DEP officials and staffers say the dismantling of successful programs promoting renewable and sustainable."

Could this be as nakedly political as it sounds? Well, let's recap:

1. Renewable and sustainable energy programs are being chopped at the orders of a guy who's in charge of Marcellus Shale (natural gas) policy.  
2. The Corbett Administration has been bending over backwards to do whatever it can for the natural gas drilling industry which contributed substantially to Mr. Corbett's election campaign.  

But why, a reasonable observer might observe, must renewable and sustainable energy development be downsized? Can't Pennsylvania be equally supportive of programs that generate energy from endlessly renewable wind and solar sources as those that require the extraction, treatment and transmission of nonrenewable natural gas?   

Why can't we have both?

It's a question that's relevant in both states. Why can't we have both? In fact, is it not irresponsible to exclusively support the exploitation of nonrenewable fossil fuel, knowing that the inevitable day will come when oil and natural gas runs out and the nation's energy needs will have to be met by renewable sources?   

Who is making these decisions that seem to fly in the face of common sense? And why? 

Tell us what you think in the comment box below. If one isn't visible, click on the tiny 'comments' link.

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