Empower NJ Comments on NJ Transit Proposed Fossil Fuel Power Plant

NJ Transit is holding a public hearing on their NJ TRANSITGRID today at Saint Peter’s University. The NJ TRANSITGRID is the first of its kind microgrid for mass transit in the U.S.  The idea of this system is that the grid will provide electric power to NJ Transit facilities in northeast New Jersey. The grid will be powered by a 104-140 MW natural gas-fired power generating plant.

“NJ Transit as part of its resiliency program wants to build a natural gas fired power plant. You cannot be resilient if you are building more fossil fuel infrastructure. This agency wants a natural gas plant for their microgrid instead of using renewable energy. It’s sort of like having a horse pull your Tesla. This is the opposite of resilient. What’s even worse is that proposed site is in an EJ Community and a few miles away from the proposed Meadowlands power plant,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “Government agencies are supposed to protect the public and promote renewable energy, they are doing just the opposite.”

The proposed location will be in an industrial zone in Kearny, NJ. Transmission lines and associated infrastructure will extend to substations in Kearny, Jersey City, Bayonne, Hoboken, Weehawken, Union City, and North Bergen, NJ. The site is right next to the proposed North Bergen Generating Station in Bergen County and near PSE&G’s South Kearny natural gas power plant.

“Shame on NJ Transit. Forty five percent of New Jersey’s greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation. Until transportation is electrified and the energy source for the required electricity is switched to renewable and clean sources, the state will not be able to meet the 100% by 2050 goal in the Draft Energy Master Plan nor will hazardous air pollutants and smog be substantially reduced.  NJ Transit should model how transit systems can make the transition to clean, renewable energy but instead another fossil fuel power plant is being proposed for Kearney, extending the use of dirty fuel that will pollute the air for communities in the region and exacerbate the climate crisis. New Jersey Transit is on the wrong track!” said Tracy Carluccio, Deputy Director, Delaware Riverkeeper Network. “New Jersey must start NOW to replace natural gas and other fossil fuels with solar and wind, not perpetuate old, destructive power plant technology.”

The NJ TRANSITGRID TRACTION POWER SYSTEM will consist of a central, natural gas-fired power plant and transmission lines to traction power substations that electrify the tracks and operating controls on portions of the NJ TRANSIT and Amtrak systems.

“Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face! NJT needs to be more resilient due to our fossil fuel addiction causing the climate crisis, yet their proposed solution fuels the addiction. We need to be investing scarce resources on smart sustainable micro and macro grids, further electrifying our transportation system, conservation and efficiency, Class I renewables, and demand response not frack gas,” said Eric Benson, NJ Campaign Director, Clean Water Action

NJ Transit’s statement on their resiliency fact sheet states that implementing the NJ TRANSITGRID project will provide the path forward for NJ TRANSIT to advance Governor Murphy’s Executive Order 28 for New Jersey’s Clean Energy Economy.

“The best way for NJ Transit to become more resilient is not to invest in a fossil fuel microgrid,” said Doug O’Malley, director of Environment New Jersey. “This is not a sustainable project and shouldn’t be a focus for NJ Transit’s limited capital funds.”

NJ Transit’s announcement for their proposed natural gas power plant comes just one week after Governor Murphy released the Energy Master Plan and when Empower NJ joined with 7 state legislators at the statehouse to demand a moratorium on fossil fuel projects in New Jersey. In New Jersey there are now 14 proposed fossil fuel projects that would if combined, would increase GHG’s by more than 32%.

“There is a tragic irony here: The state cites the damage wrought by Superstorm Sandy as the reason to build more resilient infrastructure, but the plan is to build a new fossil fuel plant that will only make things worse. The climate crisis requires a rapid transition to clean sources of energy, not another fossil fuel power plant that will only spew more planet warming gases into the atmosphere,” said Matt Smith, Senior Organizer, Food & Water Watch.