Hoboken Continues Eco-Friendly Push With New Purchasing Plan

HOBOKEN, NJ — Hoboken has taken another eco-friendly step towards a greener future, city officials reported Thursday.

The city will begin purchasing “100 percent clean, non-polluting renewable electricity” for municipal facilities starting in April of 2019. All electricity will now be purchased through renewable sources including solar and wind, as opposed to fossil fuels like coal, petroleum and nuclear, Hoboken officials stated in a news release.

Hoboken is now one of the first municipalities in New Jersey to adopt 100 percent renewable electricity in municipal buildings, officials said.

“Hoboken is committed to improving our global environment through our transition to 100% renewable electricity,” Mayor Ravi Bhalla said. “Utilizing wind and solar sources will substantially reduce our dependence on fossil fuels that contribute to greenhouse gases and global warming. This is a major milestone that puts Hoboken at the forefront of New Jersey in combatting climate change and upholding the ideals of the Paris Agreement.”

Hoboken city officials stated:

“By committing to 100% renewable electricity sources, Hoboken is reducing dependency on non-renewable energy sources that produce substantial greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to global warming. Now, 28% of Hoboken’s clean, renewable electricity for municipal operations will be generated within New Jersey by wind and solar energy, while 72% will be supplied by wind energy generated out of state.”

City officials added:

“The renewable electricity will also result in savings to the Hoboken taxpayers, with a projected 9% decrease in cost over two years. The city will pay less than 11 cents per kWh, which is approximately 1 cent per kWh less than the price to compare from PSE&G with renewable sources. Previously, Hoboken purchased electricity from PSE&G for municipal operations, with 18% of the electricity generated from renewable sources. The electricity for municipal operations will now be purchased through a third-party supplier, Aggressive Energy LLC, and was formalized with the council passing a resolution sponsored by Councilwoman Emily Jabbour.”

On Thursday, Bhalla signed a pledge committing to a goal of “100% clean, renewable electricity community-wide” as part of the Sierra Club Mayors for 100 Clean Energy Campaign. To this end, the city will be soon launching a program to enable residents to purchase renewable electricity for their own homes.

The city passed an ordinance establishing an energy aggregation program, which will allow residents to utilize renewable electricity at cheaper rates than what they are currently paying, officials said.

The program will be launched “in the coming months,” officials stated Thursday.

Earlier this year, Bhalla announced the framework for Hoboken’s Climate Action Plan, which is designed to exceed the standards set by the Paris Agreement. Under this framework, Hoboken will aim to have municipal operations become “net zero” by 2025 and the city as a whole by 2030. The Climate Action Plan includes the implementation of “environmentally friendly initiatives” such as electric charging stations, building energy upgrades and a community solar program.

• See related article: Hoboken Is First City In NJ To Earn 'LEED Gold' Status

In January, the city completed the energy efficient upgrades in 11 municipal buildings including LED energy efficient lighting, as well as high-efficiency heating and cooling systems. The upgrades result in savings to taxpayers of approximately $100,000 per year, officials said.

• See related article: Let There Be Light: Hoboken Goes Energy Efficient At 11 Buildings
• See related article: Hoboken College Professor Making Cheap, Portable Solar Panels

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