For Immediate Release:	Contact: Alonza Robertson
Date: 07/8/2025	212-920-1679

Clean Energy Program to Provide Grants to Municipalities

 

Trenton—The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) opened the application window for the fourth Program Year of the Community Energy Plan Grant (CEPG) Program. The CEPG program empowers local communities to create community energy plans that align with the State’s Energy Master Plan, which is the roadmap to achieving Governor Murphy’s clean energy and emissions reductions goals. Municipalities may earn up to $25,000 to create localized community energy plans to combat climate change, with a specific focus on equitable access, energy resilience, renewable energy, and energy efficiency. Municipalities that successfully create a community energy plan may additionally apply for a Community Energy Plan Implementation grant to fund local projects outlined in their plan.

 

“NJBPU's highly successful CEPG program helps to fund local projects that can lower energy costs for municipalities,” said NJBPU President Christine Guhl-Sadovy. “Since the beginning of the CEPG program, 140 communities have been approved for grants to help them identify and invest in clean energy projects to save their residents money."

 

The Board created the CEPG Program in 2019, with year one of the CEPG program providing grants to three local governments and year two of the program redesigned to expand funding availability to overburdened municipalities. The most recent series of grants for Program Year 3 awarded over 90 municipalities with grants.

 

Administered by NJBPU’s Office of Clean Energy Equity, the CEPG program allows overburdened municipalities to be eligible for larger grants; while all towns are eligible for $10,000, those deemed overburdened are eligible for $25,000.  In partnership with NJBPU, Sustainable Jersey provides priority technical assistance to CEPG applicants, with a particular focus on overburdened municipalities, including preparation of applications and development of community energy plans. 

 

“The urgency to act on climate change remains as vital as ever. After a couple of years being involved with this program, I've seen the impact of community energy plans in the municipalities that have participated in the program,” said Randall Solomon, Executive Director of Sustainable Jersey. “Through our continued partnership with NJBPU, Sustainable Jersey is delivering technical assistance to help all municipalities move their plans forward—and, most importantly, offering pre-application support to New Jersey’s most overburdened and underserved communities. This support ensures equitable access to essential public resources.”

 

Municipalities that do not have a community energy plan are encouraged to apply for year four of the CEPG program.

 

For municipalities that would like to participate in this program, information can be found here. The application window opened on June 9, 2025. To secure funding for your municipality, apply before the deadline on July 18.

 

About the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU)

NJBPU is a state agency and regulatory authority mandated to ensure safe, adequate and proper utility services at reasonable rates for New Jersey customers. Critical services regulated by NJBPU include natural gas, electricity, water, wastewater, telecommunications and cable television. The Board has general oversight and responsibility for monitoring utility service, responding to consumer complaints, and investigating utility accidents. To find out more about NJBPU, visit our website at www.nj.gov/bpu.  

 

About New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program (NJCEP)NJCEP, established on January 22, 2003, in accordance with the Electric Discount and Energy Competition Act (EDECA), provides financial and other incentives to the State's residential customers, businesses and schools that install high-efficiency or renewable energy technologies, thereby reducing energy usage, lowering customers' energy bills and reducing environmental impacts. The program is authorized and overseen by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU), and its website is www.NJCleanEnergy.com