■ Environmental Business
Continued From Page 30 quickly and efficiently while reducing overall costs of transportation , according to the BPU .
Diesel fleet emissions are particularly problematic for overburdened communities , many of which are located near freight corridors , ports and distribution centers . Their location causes these communities to be disproportionately exposed to harmful pollutant levels . Black carbon , or soot , is formed by the incomplete combustion of fuel . Complete combustion results in carbon dioxide , but since combustion is never complete , a variety of pollutants such as carbon monoxide , volatile organic carbon and black carbon particles are formed . Diesel busses and bus terminals located in high-density population centers are a major contributor to the black carbon toxin problem .
NJ Transit , the nation ' s largest statewide public transportation system , and the third largest transit system in the country , currently maintains a bus fleet of 2,221 busses . Until this year , all of NJ Transit ’ s busses were diesel powered ; infrastructure upgrades and purchase plans are underway to replace the diesel fleet with zero emission electric busses by 2040 .
According to the NJ Transit ’ s plan , 10 percent of NJ Transit ’ s new bus purchases will be zero emission by the end of 2024 , 50 percent of the new purchases will be zero emission by the end of 2026 , and in just 10 years , 100 percent of the new bus purchases will be zero emission busses . The initial phase of the electrification of NJ Transit busses and the corresponding modernization of their bus garages has already begun .
The Newton Avenue Bus Garage in Camden is the first NJ Transit garage to be retrofitted with electric vehicle chargers . Eight electric busses have been ordered for specific routes in the city . “ The completion of electric bus charging infrastructure at the Newton Avenue Bus Garage is a major step toward putting the first electric busses in New Jersey into service ,” said Murphy . “ This program reflects our commitment to eliminating reliance on fossil fuels and to environmental justice in the state of New Jersey .” The Camden project is a first of its kind initiative for NJ Transit ; this project will test electric busses in actual working conditions and provide information regarding the effects of weather , passenger volume , and road conditions on electric bus performance .
NJ Transit has awarded a $ 9.4 million contract to New Flyer of North America to buy eight battery-powered electric Xcelsior Charge NG forty-foot heavy-duty transit busses and parts . The contract has options to purchase up to 75 more battery-electric busses under a fiveyear deal . New Flyer ’ s Xcelsior Charge NG electric bus delivers up to 525 kWh of power with a new lightweight electric traction drive system that the company says provides up to 90 percent energy recovery . According to New Flyer , the Xcelsion is the most advanced electric bus on the market .
In order to support the state ’ s electrification initiative , the remaining NJ Transit bus garages will need to be zero-emission ready and capable of storing and maintaining electric busses . NJ Transit plans to construct two additional garages , completely replace four current garages , and modernize the remaining 12 . Currently , the transit authority operates 16 bus garages that range between 20 and 120 years old , none of which , except Camden , have had a major overhaul in nearly a quarter century .
Provided that the Camden project is successful , the initial phase of the NJ Transit electric bus roll-out plan is to replace 68 40-foot diesel busses currently in service with 68 comparably sized electric busses , and introduce 11 60-foot
“ Charge up New Jersey , administered by the BPU addresses incentives for both the purchase of ZEVs and the corresponding charging stations .”
articulated busses into existing NJ Transit garages . An additional 21 electric articulated busses will be purchased for new bus garages to be constructed in northern New Jersey , probably near the meadowlands , but no property has been purchased at this point . Later phases of the purchase plan are yet to be announced , but the estimated total cost to fully electrify the bus fleet is approximately $ 5.7 billion .
Electric vehicle initiatives are just one of the facets of New Jersey ’ s plan to shift to clean energy by 2050 . The state is among six states recognized for setting aggressive clean energy targets by RMI , an independent , non-partisan , nonprofit organization whose mission , according
A young woman charging her electric car at a curbside charging station
to its web site , is to “ transform the global energy system into a secure , clean , prosperous zero-carbon future for all .”
According to the RMI scorecard ,
https :// statescorecard . rmi . org / nj aside from the ZEV initiative , New Jersey has made significant progress in reducing green house gasses in the electricity sector due primarily to our offshore wind industry . With strong state incentives and regulatory support as well as decisive federal action , the New Jersey ’ s offshore wind industry will establish itself as a global leader in production of clean energy and is destined to deliver high-quality jobs both in the power sector as well as the industries supporting it .
New Jersey ’ s focus on environmental justice and cumulative emissions has enabled the state to strengthen air pollution rules and reduce greenhouse gas emissions . According to RMI ’ s modeling , New Jersey ’ s industry sector ’ s emissions should see an 18 percent reduction below 2005 levels by the target date of 2030 .
The RMI report concludes that while steps taken to address the transportation , electric generation and industrial GHG reductions have been successful , New Jersey still has a lot of work to do particularly in the buildings sector . Accelerating energy demand due to population growth has offset early progress in the buildings sector , particularly with regard to transitioning from natural gas consumption to more environmentally friendly electric appliances and heating systems .
Continuing to deliver on ambitious goals set forth in the updated New Jersey Global Warming Response Act means growing industries that build on the state ’ s competitive edge and deliver green economy jobs . Continuing to reduce the state ’ s reliance on fossil fuels and focusing on clean energy innovation like fleet electrification , offshore wind , and other technologies will keep New Jersey in the forefront of climate leadership while continuing to make our state a better state in which to live , work , and conduct business .
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