TRENTON – The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) has received over $185M in federal funding from the Home Efficiency Rebates (HER or HOMES), Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR or HEEHR), and Training for Residential Energy Contractors (TREC) programs from the United States Department of Energy (DOE).
These grants, provided under the Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), will fund energy efficiency and electrification programs for low-and-moderate-income communities, helping save money on utility bills, and bolster energy efficiency workforce development programs in New Jersey.
“These grants further our goal of making clean energy affordable and accessible to all New Jerseyans, no matter the zip code, and support my Administration’s goal of electrifying 400,000 dwelling units by 2030,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “These programs will save customers money on utility bills and bolster our clean energy workforce. I’m grateful for the Biden Administration’s commitment to clean energy goals.”
“This $185 million New Jersey grant is nothing short of transformative,” said NJBPU President Christine Guhl-Sadovy. “One of the cornerstones of our clean energy portfolio and workforce has been, and continues to be, our energy efficiency programs. This historic grant award will help lower bills and drive long-term utility bill stabilization for New Jersey ratepayers, especially low-and-moderate-income households. Thank you to the Biden Administration for following through on their climate and clean energy commitments, bolstering their already considerable legacy of advancing smart and bold policies to advance affordability and make everyday life easier for all of us.”
The award amounts for these three grant programs are:
- $91,654,709 in HER funding,
- $91,307,380 in HEAR funding, and;
- $3,517,680 in TREC funding.
The NJBPU is the implementing state agency for the grants and is developing the final design for these three programs. The rebates are anticipated to be available in the fall of 2025. On December 18, 2024, the Board approved the release of a request for quotations for program administration for the HER and HEAR programs.
The NJBPU’s TREC award is anticipated to distribute funds to qualifying New Jersey workforce training centers, via competitive grants, to enhance their infrastructure and support the growth of a skilled energy efficiency workforce in the state.
The HER and HEAR funding is intended to deliver cost savings to consumers by reducing energy use. It adds to the existing Triennium 2 (T2) program, which is the second cycle of the State’s multi-year utility-run energy efficiency programs. Established by the Clean Energy Act of 2018, natural gas utilities must achieve energy savings of 0.75% and electric utilities must achieve energy savings of 2% of the average annual usage in the prior three years within five years of implementation of their energy efficiency programs.
For more information about State and utility-led efficiency programs, please visit: https://www.njcleanenergy.com/EEP
