U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Energy Weatherization & Intergovernmental Program New Jersey
Increases its Renewable Energy Requirement April 19, 2006 The
New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) approved new
regulations on April 12th that will require the state's electric
utilities to draw on wind power, solar power, and sustainable
biomass power for 20 percent of their electricity by 2020.
Previously, the BPU required utilities to draw on renewable
energy sources for 4 percent of their power supply by 2008. That
older requirement had ratcheted up to 3.5 percent renewable
energy this year, but starting in June, utilities will have to
meet an accelerated schedule geared toward the 2020 goal. The
new regulations also require solar photovoltaic power to provide
2 percent of the state's electricity needs by 2020, requiring
the installation of 1,500 megawatts of solar electric power. On
a per capita basis, that's the largest solar requirement in the
United States, cementing New Jerse