TRENTON – Governor Phil Murphy announced today that New Jersey has been selected to participate in the National Governors Association (NGA) Center for Best Practices’ Smarter States, Smarter Communities Initiative (SSI). New Jersey joins four other states – Nevada, North Dakota, Virginia and Colorado – taking part in the Smarter Communities Learning Lab scheduled for October 17-19, 2018 in Chicago.

“New Jersey is uniquely positioned to capitalize on its heritage of innovation, serve in a peer capacity, and assume a leadership role in the community of smarter states,” said Governor Murphy. “This initiative is an excellent launching pad in our commitment to reclaim New Jersey’s Innovation Economy by fostering new, smart technologies, powerful data, and digital innovation to improve the lives of our residents. We look forward to working with other states to realize the future that smart technologies promise.”

Under Governor Murphy’s leadership, New Jersey is on a path to becoming a Smart State. To continue that momentum, New Jersey will aim to meet or surpass goals in three key areas:

Increasing the efficiency and intelligence of New Jersey’s infrastructure: The State is already investing in 39,000 miles of public roadways, international airports, ports, and the Northeast Corridor rail network. This includes the $2.7 billion redevelopment of Newark Liberty International Airport’s Terminal 1 and $242 million in increased public transit funding for Fiscal Year 2019. The New Jersey team will work with the NGA to deploy smart technologies to optimize investments, rapidly increase the efficiency and viability of infrastructure, and improve the quality of transit information available to riders.

Modernizing New Jersey’s electric grid: The administration has commenced work on a new statewide Energy Master Plan that will position New Jersey as a leader in renewable power over the next decade. This includes increasing offshore wind and solar capacity, advancing resilient energy infrastructure, and reducing energy consumption. With an increase in renewable sources of energy, coupled with goals to expand zero-emission vehicles, New Jersey’s power grid will need to evolve and adapt to meet these new and increasing demands. Through participation in the SSI, New Jersey plans to develop a multi-year transition plan to enable a statewide smart grid that more efficiently serves the population.

Increasing the quality and reach of digital services: Governor Murphy’s administration is laying the foundation for a statewide infrastructure that provides greater security, while offering additional transparency and accountability. Modernization of older, legacy applications will drive service delivery improvements and inventions that will bolster New Jersey’s Innovation Economy. The SSI will complement work already underway, like “The Hub” in New Brunswick.

In addition to leadership from the Governor’s Office— including the State’s Chief Technology Officer— members of the New Jersey team include participants from the NJ Department of Transportation, NJ Board of Public Utilities, NJ Economic Development Authority, and Rutgers University Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation.