Today Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law two important pieces of legislation that will help to increase solar development across New Jersey.
The two bills were S2605 and S3484.
The first bill establishes the SREC-II program at the Board of Public Utilities (BPU), which includes incentives for at least 1,500 MW of behind-the-meter solar facilities and 750 MW of community solar by 2026. It also includes a new competitive solicitation process to incentivize at least 1,500 MW of large-scale solar power facilities by 2026, and develops siting criteria for large-scale solar projects.
The second directs the BPU to establish a “Dual-Use Solar Energy Pilot Program,” which authorizes up to 200 MW of solar projects on unpreserved farmland. The measure allows for continued agricultural production under and around the solar panels. It authorizes and encourages dual-use solar projects up to 10 MW each and lays the foundation for a permanent dual-use solar energy program.
Signing a package of legislation to advance New Jersey’s clean energy future. WATCH LIVE: https://t.co/YcMp7gpKLk
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) July 9, 2021
“We commend Governor Murphy for signing S2605 and S3484 into law, which will establish a program for grid-scale solar development in New Jersey and create a new pilot program for solar projects that are compatible with agricultural uses, known as dual-use solar projects,” said Scott Elias, senior manager of state affairs, mid-Atlantic for SEIA, in a statement. “In order to meet the Murphy Administration’s Energy Master Plan goal of 17 gigawatts of solar deployed by 2035, we need much more solar deployment of all shapes and sizes. While there are still many critical details for the Board of Public Utilities to determine, we commend the Governor, Senator Smith, and the other bill sponsors for making it clear that distributed solar, grid-scale solar, and dual-use solar are all critical components of New Jersey’s energy future.”
News item from SEIA
