Help for NJ Communities Battling Urban Heat This Summer
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU), in partnership with NJDEP and the Interagency Council on Climate Resilience, has announced a bold new initiative to cool down New Jersey’s most heat-vulnerable neighborhoods. The Urban Heat Island (UHI) Mitigation Program is a $5 million grant opportunity aimed at fighting extreme heat and rising energy bills through nature-based and technological solutions.
Funded by the New Jersey Clean Energy Fund, the program will support projects across three categories:
Comprehensive Neighborhood Interventions
— $1 million each for two large-scale projects with cooling infrastructure like tree canopy, cool pavement, and smart misting.
Cooling the Built Environment
— $500,000 each for four public buildings to become resilience hubs with upgrades like green roofs and battery storage.
Urban Micro-Climate Projects
— $50,000 each for 20 community-driven solutions like shaded bus stops and water stations.