Governor Phil Murphy, joined by environmental advocates, community stakeholders, and labor leaders, celebrated new solar initiatives aimed at making solar energy more affordable and accessible in New Jersey. These advancements reaffirm the state’s commitment to achieving 100% clean electricity by 2035.

New Jersey is on track to surpass 200,000 solar installations and reach five gigawatts of installed solar capacity this year. Governor Murphy emphasized, “Earth Week is a time for action. New Jersey is all in on clean energy, and we are making solar more affordable and accessible than ever before while addressing environmental injustices.”

A major highlight of the announcement was a $156 million award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Solar For All competition. This funding will support solar programs for low-income communities, enabling solar access for multi-family affordable housing, expanding community solar initiatives, and enhancing solar workforce development. The award is expected to help 22,000 low-income households, resulting in significant energy bill savings and CO2 emission reductions.

Additionally, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) recently awarded 310 megawatts of grid-scale solar and the state’s first incentivized energy storage project. This marks the largest solicitation in New Jersey’s solar program history, including projects that will transform contaminated sites and landfills.

The Governor proposed $40 million in his Fiscal Year 2025 budget to modernize the electric grid, enabling clean energy interconnection and supporting a strong union workforce. This includes a $25 million Clean Energy Fund allocation to leverage federal grants for grid resilience and technology enhancements.

The Governor also announced 225 megawatts of new community solar and the reopening of the Community Solar Energy Program for an additional 275 megawatts. This program aims to increase solar project completion rates, boost low-to-moderate income household participation, and continue siting solar projects on built environments and contaminated lands.

Senator Bob Smith, Chair of the Senate Environment and Energy Committee, praised the initiatives: “New Jersey continues to lead the charge toward a sustainable clean energy future, empowering communities and providing accessible sustainable power for all residents.”

Governor Murphy’s announcements were made in Berkeley Township, where the new Eagle Solar I and II community solar projects are nearing completion. These projects, built on a closed landfill, will provide a 20% discount to subscribers, including low and moderate-income customers, delivering significant annual savings.