State and Local Climate and Energy Program
New Jersey Sustainable Energy Efficiency Demonstration Projects
Cherry Hill, Highland Park, and Montclair, New Jersey
Federal Funding: $500,000
Project Timeline: February 2010 – November 2012
Latest Update
The three participating municipalities of the New Jersey Sustainable Energy Efficiency Demonstration Project (NJ SEED) have adopted greenhouse gas reduction targets and Energy Plans that provide the communities the framework with which to reach those targets. The municipalities have started rolling out their Action Plans through outreach events to collect more pledges and registrations for energy efficiency audits. Highland Park held a press conference to highlight the benefits of the program to residents. Montclair reached out to the school community to encourage students to become “Energy Ambassadors,” and aired a television spot geared towards energy efficiency among senior citizens. Cherry Hill met with several groups to spread the word about the program, and will hire interns to reach out to the school district. Program participants have taken energy efficiency actions, including retrofitting lights, purchasing Energy Star appliances, and installing solar panels on municipal buildings.
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Project Summary
Developing the Capacity of Small and Medium Municipalities in Partnership with State and Federal Initiatives
The New Jersey Sustainable Energy Efficiency Demonstration Project (NJ SEED) seeks to demonstrate that aggressive reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are possible in small and medium municipalities. It also aims to establish a protocol for leadership in municipalities through state and federal support, and to share information on measures that reduce GHG emissions among residents and businesses. The program will achieve these goals by:
- establishing a partnership among three New Jersey municipalities to set energy use and GHG emission reduction targets;
- implementing programs to help residents, businesses, and local government reduce energy use and GHG emissions; and
- modeling anticipated impacts and qualitatively documenting actual reductions for research purposes.
Each participating municipality has developed and is currently implementing energy plans with targets for reducing energy use and GHG emissions. Potential actions that could be undertaken include enrollment of community members and local businesses in state and federal energy-efficiency programs, efficiency retrofits of municipal buildings, green fleet campaigns, and updates to local codes and policies.
After one year, the project team will assess implementation efforts. Based on data gathered from project partners, changes will be identified and implemented to improve the program. This will be followed by a second round of review on key metrics including fiscal, economic, and environmental impacts. Finally, the project partners will share lessons on the program through a state-wide workshop and two regional workshops. Lessons from the program will be turned into new actions for the Sustainable Jersey program.
In addition to cost savings, and energy use and GHG reductions, the project will provide three key benefits. It will:
- provide an example of how small and medium municipalities can drive energy use and GHG emission reductions;
- emphasize how municipalities can encourage their residents and businesses to decrease GHG emissions; and
- provide a model for other states to coordinate state and federal policies with local government activities.
The project is integrated with New Jersey's Sustainable Jersey certification program for municipalities that want to adopt sustainable policies and achieve cost savings.
Community Characteristics
| Population: | 75,000 (Cherry Hill) 16,000 (Highland Park) 38,000 (Montclair) |
|---|---|
| Area: | 32 square miles (total) |
| Government Type: | Three Municipalities |
| Community Type: | Urban |
| Median Household Income: | $54,000-$77,000 |
Program Results/Estimated Results
| Expected GHG Reductions: | 5,000 metric tons CO2e annually |
|---|---|
| Actual GHG Reductions (as of March 2012): | 3,264 metric tons CO2e annually |
| Partners: | NJ Sustainable State Institute at Rutgers, New Jersey state government |
| Sample Projects: | GHG Inventories Energy Plans Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Anti-Idling Campaigns |
Project Websites
- It’s In Our Power Cherry Hill website
- It’s In Our Power Cherry Hill Facebook page
- It’s In Our Power Montclair website
- It’s In Our Power Montclair Facebook page
- It’s In Our Power Highland Park website
- It’s In Our Power Highland Park Facebook page
Media Coverage
- Montclair Community Access station’s News & Views, 1/2012
- In Our Power Make the Switch, 3/21/2012
- It's In Our Power Cherry Hill!, 11/4/2010
- Montclair Hopes To Entice Residents to Go Green with Rebate, 10/26/2010
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Montclair Launches "It's in Our Power" Website, 10/22/2010