Renewable Energy Advanced Power Program

Summary

Note: This program is currently undergoing revisions, including a change in the program name and various program details. A new solicitation is expected late spring or summer 2005. The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) has issued a request for proposals for a competitive incentive and financing program -- The Renewable Energy Advanced Power Program -- to encourage development of distributive renewable electricity generation projects in the state. This is one of several renewable energy programs funded by the state's Societal Benefits Charge and administered by the Office of Clean Energy as part of the New Jersey Clean Energy Program (NJCEP). Projects will be expected to supply electricity to the PJM Power Pool, or to large power users, by installing a minimum of 1 megawatt (MW) power generation at their facility or by aggregating a minimum of 1 MW of renewable electricity generation systems into one proposal. This Solicitation is designed to provide seed grants and access to capital in order to make renewably-powered electricity cost competitive with conventional power plants. The funds awarded to successful proposals will include a grant award of up to 20% of the total construction costs and other qualifying costs, as well as guaranteed long-term financing for the incremental cost of construction of the project. Projects should look to leverage the grant and public financing with private investment and loans. However, projects that receive funding through the Customer On-site Renewable Energy Program are prohibited from receiving funding through this Solicitation as well. Eligible technologies and fuels for distributive renewable electricity generation projects include photovoltaics, solar-electric, wind energy, renewably-fueled fuel cells, methane gas from landfills (as defined in this solicitation), wave/tidal and biomass, provided that the biomass is cultivated and harvested in a sustainable manner. Note that tradable emission credits or tradable renewable energy certificates or attributes which result from projects funded through the NJCEP will be the property of the project developer, unless the developer defaults on their financing commitment in which case the ownership of the credits will revert to the NJCEP until the project financing provided through this program is fully recovered including any fees, penalties or interest, unless otherwise negotiated. Distributive renewable electricity generation projects funded through the NJCEP qualify toward meeting the requirements of the Renewable Portfolio Standard in accordance with the RPS guidelines established by the NJBPU. Three landfill gas projects were selected for funding under the solicitation released in October 2003.