Energy & Environment News

»Federal Agency Eases Waiting Time for Offshore Wind Projects

By Tom Johnson, February 3, 2012 in Energy & Environment |

No downsides to leasing and site assessments could put permits in place by year's end.

»By The Numbers: New Jersey’s Renewable Energy Program

By Tom Johnson, February 2, 2012 in Energy & Environment |

Clean energy isn't cheap, but what do rebates and incentives really cost -- and what do they buy?

»Utilities Argue They Don't Have to Honor No-Build Option

By Tom Johnson, February 1, 2012 in Energy & Environment |

Companies claim existing rights of way through National Park allow them to make necessary upgrades.

»Trying to Set a Fair Price for Private Use of Public Lands

By Tom Johnson, January 31, 2012 in Energy & Environment |

Conservationists dismiss DEP's flat fee as far too low.

»Does Cheaper Natural Gas Mean Cheaper Electricity?

By Tom Johnson, January 30, 2012 in Energy & Environment |

Other factors -- including high capacity prices and congestion -- could offset any savings.

»Mixed Reviews for Office of Clean Energy’s Solar Plan

By Tom Johnson, January 27, 2012 in Energy & Environment |

Utilities balk at agency’s options for stabilizing solar sector.

»Low Prices Keep Natural Gas in NJ's Energy Picture

By Tom Johnson, January 26, 2012 in Energy & Environment |

Plentiful gas supplies and a warm winter mean rebates for ratepayers.

»Global Warming Seen as Threat to Garden State’s Cranberry Farms

By Joe Tyrrell, January 26, 2012 in Energy & Environment |

Researchers have tough time getting local growers to talk about risk.

»Developer Typifies Success and Uncertainty of Solar Sector

By Tom Johnson, January 25, 2012 in Energy & Environment |

KDC Solar looks to Trenton to stabilize NJ's volatile solar market.

»Opinion: What Can Environmentalists Learn From the Painful Lessons of 2011?

By Michael Catania, January 24, 2012 in Opinion |

»Senate Committee Holds Hurricane-Response Bill -- for Now

By Tom Johnson, January 24, 2012 in Energy & Environment |

Questions arise as to whether the BPU is already working on emergency response guidelines.

»Environmental Coalition Moves to Block Natural Gas Pipeline

By Tom Johnson, January 23, 2012 in Energy & Environment |

Transco project involves drilling under Raritan River, source of drinking water for some 1 million people.

»Utilities Offer to Swap Open Land for Power Project OK

By Tom Johnson, January 20, 2012 in Energy & Environment |

Proposal comes as new hearings begin on environmental impact of high-voltage power lines through Delaware Water Gap and Highlands.

»State Agency to Investigate Improper Billing at PSE&G

By Tom Johnson, January 19, 2012 in Energy & Environment |

Whistleblowers' allegations, if true, could lead to criminal charges against NJ's largest utility.

»Interactive Map: Pinpointing New Jersey's Polluters

By Colleen O'Dea, January 19, 2012 in Energy & Environment |

According to the federal EPA, the aggregate toxic chemicals in NJ's air and water is on the rise

»Christie Quietly Signs So-Called Dirty Water Bill

By Tom Johnson, January 18, 2012 in Energy & Environment |

Controversial measure could allow 300,000 acres of protected land to be developed.

»NJ May Call On Electric Utilities to Revive Solar Sector

By Tom Johnson, January 17, 2012 in Energy & Environment |

Office of Clean Energy mulls two options to halt slide in prices of solar certificates.

»EPA Puts Greenhouse Gas on Interactive Map

By Tom Johnson, January 13, 2012 in Energy & Environment |

New database allows users to find the biggest polluters right down to their neighborhood.

»EPA Pledges Accelerated Cleanup for Pompton Lakes, Withholds Superfund Status

By Joe Tyrrell, January 12, 2012 in Energy & Environment |

Lake dredging widely derided as insufficient and irrelevant to the immediate health threat.

»PSEG Solar Source Picks Up 25-Megawatt Project Near Phoenix

By Tom Johnson, January 12, 2012 in Energy & Environment |

Construction on $75 million purchase slated to begin this month, wrap up late in 2012.

»Solar Sector Likely to Look for Stabilization by Regulation

By Tom Johnson, January 11, 2012 in Energy & Environment |

State agency may increase amount of electricity power suppliers must buy from solar systems.

»Environmental Issues Take a Back Seat to the Economy

By Tom Johnson, January 10, 2012 in Energy & Environment |

In last lame duck session, lobbyists fail to stop what they say are environmentally unfriendly bills from being sent to the governor's desk.

»Despite Critics' Concerns Over Drinking Water and Sprawl, Water Quality Bill Poised for OK

By Tom Johnson, January 9, 2012 in Energy & Environment |

Legislation would delay rules for sewer service expansions to favor economic growth.

»No Easy Solutions for the Solar Sector

By Tom Johnson, January 6, 2012 in Energy & Environment |

Short of the unlikely passage of a proposed bill, the solar sector will continue to be in the dark about how the state plans on stabilizing prices.

»Solar Megawatts Continue to Climb, Amid Concerns About the Health of the Sector

By Tom Johnson, January 5, 2012 in Energy & Environment |

Optimistic projections fail to take into account recent problems in NJ solar market.

»Residents Push for Superfund Status at Pompton Lakes

By Joe Tyrrell, January 5, 2012 in Energy & Environment |

Locals are getting some high-profile help in their attempts to designate the decades-old cleanup as a federal Superfund site.

»PSE&G Wins Special Incentives for Transmission Upgrades

By Tom Johnson, January 4, 2012 in Energy & Environment |

Utility gets close to what it wanted for high-risk project running through Hudson and Essex counties.

»State Faces Triple Energy Challenge in New Year

By Tom Johnson, January 3, 2012 in Energy & Environment |

Difficult decisions about solar, offshore wind, and new power plants must be made -- some in short order.

»Proposed Measure Would Permit Logging of State-Owned Forests

By Tom Johnson, December 22, 2011 in Energy & Environment |

Bill pits conservationists against two long-term legislative allies.

»The 'Peaking Plant' Trade-Off: Cleaner Air vs. Lower Prices

By Tom Johnson, December 21, 2011 in Energy & Environment |

Taking older, inefficient power stations out of service could help reduce smog, while increasing electricity rates.

»Extended Incinerator Deal Means Lower Garbage Bills in Union County

By Tom Johnson, December 20, 2011 in Energy & Environment |

Two-decade lease with energy-from-waste facility could save $100 million all told.

»New Jersey's Reliance on Natural Gas to Grow, Experts Agree

By Tom Johnson, December 19, 2011 in Energy & Environment |

Panelists explore future of natural gas in Garden State at NJ Spotlight Roundtable.

»PSEG Subsidiary Inks $400 Million Deal to Manage Long Island Power Authority Network

By Tom Johnson, December 16, 2011 in Energy & Environment |

PSEG Long Island to take over LIPA transmission and distribution system, improve customer service.

»New Jersey Prepares to Work Around Federal Agency Blocking Power Plants

By Tom Johnson, December 15, 2011 in Energy & Environment |

Blistering BPU report recommends establishing state power authority to build new capacity.

»Report on Hurricane Irene Focuses on Jersey Central Power & Light

By Tom Johnson, December 15, 2011 in Energy & Environment |

Preliminary report on outages also calls on all four state utilities to immediately improve communications.

»New Jersey Developer Says It's Giving Up on Offshore Wind

By Tom Johnson, December 14, 2011 in Energy & Environment |

NRG Energy scraps plans for wind farm off Jersey coast, puts NRG Bluewater Wind on the block.

»Critics Contend New Bill Imperils Water Quality, Encourages Sprawl

By Tom Johnson, December 13, 2011 in Energy & Environment |

Sewers and smart growth at issue as legislators and conservationists line up on either side of controversial water quality management measure.

»Democratic Lawmakers Block Controversial DEP Waiver Rule

By Tom Johnson, December 9, 2011 in Energy & Environment |

Environmental agency seeks to suspend rules its deems 'unduly burdensome' to specific projects.

»New Energy Master Plan Explores Ways to Deploy Infrastructure for Alternative Vehicles

By Tom Johnson, December 8, 2011 in Energy & Environment |

Transportation infrastructure bank could help speed adoption of clean-energy vehicles.

»Dirty Business: Report Blasts Mob Involvement in Garbage and Recycling Operations

By Tom Johnson and John Mooney, December 7, 2011 in Energy & Environment |

Loopholes in law enable convicted criminals to pass for legitimate businessmen, report claims.

»State Adopts Energy Master Plan

By Tom Johnson, December 7, 2011 in Energy & Environment |

New plan ignores many of the concerns of conservationists, but could help stabilize the state's once flourishing solar sector.

»Plug-In Electric Vehicles That Can Pump Power Back Onto the Grid

By Tom Johnson, December 6, 2011 in Energy & Environment |

Reversing the usual paradigm, prototype vehicles can draw power from and supply it to the grid.

»BPU Moves to Block PSE&G Bid for Special Incentives from Federal Agency

By Tom Johnson, December 5, 2011 in Energy & Environment |

State's largest utility wants package worth nearly $900 million for transmission line project.

»State Board Questions JCP&L Earnings

By Tom Johnson, December 2, 2011 in Energy & Environment |

Concerns also raised that utility isn't investing enough in infrastructure.

»LS Power to Build New Plant -- Without Help from Ratepayer Subsidies

By Tom Johnson, December 1, 2011 in Energy & Environment |

Ironically, West Deptford facility has better chance of being built than subsidized rivals.

»Back to Court for Controversial Transmission Line Project

By Tom Johnson, November 30, 2011 in Energy & Environment |

Environmentalists want BPU to rescind its approval of Susquehanna-Roseland.

»The High Price of Keeping New Jersey's Drinking Water Clean

By Tom Johnson, November 29, 2011 in Energy & Environment |

Upgrading the state's water infrastructure could cost $20 billion dollars over the next few decades.

»Committee Says NJ Won't Treat Wastewater from Hydraulic Fracturing

By Tom Johnson, November 29, 2011 in Energy & Environment |

Bill not likely to be approved in lame duck session but still sends message, backers and foes say.

»By the Numbers: New Jersey’s Soaring Infrastructure Costs

By Tom Johnson, November 28, 2011 in Energy & Environment |

It will take an almost unfathomable amount of money to bring NJ's various infrastructures up to where they should be.

»Park Service May Block Delaware Water Gap Power Line Project

By Tom Johnson, November 23, 2011 in Energy & Environment |

Environmental impact statement includes 'no-build' option for Susquehanna-Roseland.