Solar energy requirements in NJ seen as good first step

By: Monica Miller

The Garden State’s governor is adding more green to his Energy Master Plan. One New Jersey environmentalist says it’s a step in the right direction, but there’s more ground to cover.

By: Monica Miller

The Garden State’s governor is adding more green to his Energy Master Plan. One New Jersey environmentalist says it’s a step in the right direction, but there’s more ground to cover.

Transcript:
Under new legislation signed by Governor Jon Corzine, developers will now have to offer solar energy systems in some new home construction. Wind and solar facilities can also be placed in industrial zones and grants will be available to combine heat and power production at cogeneration facilities.

Dave Pringle is with the New Jersey Environmental Federation.

Pringle: “That’s where they generate power on site, generally using some kind of fossil fuel hopefully natural gas.  They use steam to generate that power and then typically on a power plant they just exhaust that steam but rather use that steam for heat.”

Pringle says they’re all steps in the right direction. However, he offers that more needs to be done.

Pringle: “They are all also relatively small steps and much more gigantic leaps need to be taken. The state has been attempting some of them, but not enough of them and not quickly enough.”

Pringle says in the long-run, using renewable energy will drive down cost for the state and its residents.

Listen:
Click on the play button below or right click on this link and choose “Save Link As” to download. [audio: reports20090331energy.mp3]