Rutgers Center Teams with PSE&G to Evaluate Applications for Technology Demonstration Project Grants

The Technology Demonstration Grants Program is one of PSE&G’s Carbon Abatement and Energy Efficiency Economic Stimulus initiatives approved by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.

The New Jersey Sustainable State Institute (NJSSI), a unit of the Bloustein School, will manage the grant application and evaluation process to identify the state’s most exciting and innovative next-generation energy efficiency projects.

“New Jersey’s leading energy technology organizations, including universities and small businesses, are encouraged to submit proposals outlining their cutting-edge technologies and services,” said Randy Solomon, NJSSI executive director.

Academic experts and a sustainability panel at the institute will review applications based on their technical merits and the potential sustainability benefits to New Jersey. PSE&G will award grants up to 100 percent of each project’s cost.

The demonstration projects will be evaluated by their energy savings, replicability and potential for expansion to other projects, with the intent of making full-scale versions of the product or service commercially available within the next two years.

“Our goal is to move these projects from the labs to the real world,” Solomon explained.

The Technology Demonstration Program is open to any New Jersey organization with an energy-efficiency project based within PSE&G’s electric and/or gas service territory. Eligible energy-saving concepts and technologies include:

• Green building and design
• Materials science and nanotechnology
• Information systems
• Process and manufacturing technology
• Industrial ecology
• Consumer and behavioral psychology.

“Applicants whose products or services fall outside these categories may address eligibility issues with their letter of intent or inquiring via email,” Solomon said.

A full program description, eligibility guidelines, project timeline and applications can be found at the NJSSI website, www.njssi.org. Questions can be forwarded to energy_grants@njssi.org.

The New Jersey Sustainable State Institute’s mission is to provide decision makers and New Jersey citizens with a clear picture of where we are, where we are headed and what we need to achieve to be sustainable. NJSSI works with government, public interest groups, business leaders, scientists and citizens from all walks of life to build understanding and capacity to address the critical social, economic and environmental factors that we must sustain to ensure a quality of life.

Media Contact: Steve Manas
732-932-7084, ext. 612
E-mail: smanas@ur.rutgers.edu