Alternative energy generation opportunities in critical infrastructure, New Jersey (2013)

Following Hurricane Sandy in October 2012, the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management (OEM) requested letters of intent (LOI) from communities across the state impacted by the hurricane and seeking funding through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), which provides funding for public buildings. Approximately 1,200 applicants submitted LOIs, which were then categorized by NJ OEM staff into areas of need. Nearly 640 of the LOIs submitted requested backup energy generation systems, indicating a need for more resilient energy systems. In addition, the majority of requests asked for diesel-powered backup generators, which had high failure rates during the storm due to long-term outages, which reduced local fuel resources.As a result, a cross-agency effort was initiated to identify critical infrastructure in New Jersey and opportunities for more resilient distributed generation systems. The NJ OEM, Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, Department of Environmental Protection, the Governor’s Office of Recovery and Rebuilding (GORR), and the NJ Board of Public Utilities (BPU) have been working collaboratively with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to identify energy needs of critical infrastructure and life-safety facilities across the state to ensure continuous operation through future disaster events.The National Renewable Energy Laboratory, in collaboration with FEMA and the various state agencies, conducted a comprehensive questionnaire administered through NJ OEM of the 640 applicants who submitted energy-related LOIs for the HMGP. The questionnaire assessed the energy needs of critical infrastructure, and identified state-wide opportunities for more resilient DG systems that can operate in parallel with the grid during normal operation and isolate (island) critical facilities with on-site energy generation during grid outages. In addition, several site visits of buildings representing different categories of critical infrastructure were conducted to determine the market potential and applicability of technologies that would allow critical facilities to operate independently of the grid during future disaster events.The following report describes the findings from the critical infrastructure energy questionnaire and site visits, resilient DG technology and policy opportunities, and the financial assessment of resilient DG systems. This report is intended for integration into a larger proposal being developed by the BPU and GORR for the creation of an energy bank to finance applicable projects through the U.S. Department for Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant program. Through smart financing and design, New Jersey can utilize funding from the Hurricane Sandy Relief Bill (H.R. 41) to create projects that will 1) improve the resiliency of the energy system during disaster events, 2) reduce critical facility energy demand and operating costs during normal operating conditions, and 3) take large strides toward achieving the goals outlined in the current New Jersey Energy Master Plan.