Finding funding for clean energy initiatives just got easier with the launch of the New Jersey Funding One Stop Shop.
The new online tool, announced by New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette on October 7, will help residents, local governments, nonprofit organizations, and businesses easily identify funding opportunities for projects that mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, reduce costs, and improve air quality.
The user-friendly, interactive tool asks users a series of questions about their projects and, based upon the answers, identifies federal, state, local, and utility funding resources that can help reduce the project cost with an approximation of eligible incentives and percentage of covered project costs.
“New Jersey continues to pave the way toward a clean energy future that not only improves public health but expands and strengthens the economy as well,” LaTourette said. “The One Stop Shop database is an easy-to-use tool that can help residents, local governments, and nonprofits pursue critical green projects like homeowners installing a heat pump to a government transitioning to an all-electric vehicle fleet.”
A public webinar on how to use the database tool takes place Monday, October 20, from 11 a.m. to noon. Visit dep.nj.gov/newsrel/25_0044 for the registration link.
Users are asked a few basic questions such as project location and which of seven project categories the project may fit. Users are also asked about specific features of the project and what utilities serve the area.
The seven project categories are Building Energy Efficiency, Energy Generation, Industry, Transportation, Education/Workforce, Food Systems/Waste, and Resilience. After the user chooses the project type, they are then directed to relevant grants, rebates, financing options and technical assistance programs that are open and accepting applications, some of which include:
Natural Climate Solutions: Over $42 million is available for supporting on-the-ground implementation of projects that create, restore, and enhance New Jersey’s natural carbon sinks.
It Pay$ to Plug In: A multi-layered program with funding available for both Level 2 electric vehicle charging stations and high-power direct current fast charging stations.
Diesel Modernization Program: Accepting applications on a rolling basis, this program replaces on-road and non-road diesel equipment, vehicles, and marine engines with cleaner options.
NJ Cool: This $15 million pilot program provides financial assistance to commercial, industrial, and institutional building owners and tenants undertaking retrofit projects that reduce operating emissions from existing buildings.
JCP&L’s Commercial Custom Equipment and Building: A utility program providing commercial and industrial customers with rebates of up to 75 percent for tailored, non-standard energy efficiency projects.
“The One Stop Shop streamlines access to project funding opportunities, helping turn great ideas into successful projects,” said Annabelle Rosser, senior policy analyst with Atlas Public Policy, the designer of the tool. Funding for the tool was provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
An expansive list of funding resources is tailored to the data input by users, no matter the project. If a homeowner in Trenton, for example, wants to replace their aging gas furnace and central air system with a modern electric heat pump to improve efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the tool identifies two programs available to support such a project: Public Service Electric & Gas’s On-bill Repayment and Residential Prescriptive Incentives – Standard Air Source Heat Pump programs.
In another example, if a small municipal transit agency in Camden County wants to replace three medium-duty utility trucks with zero-emission electric vehicles to improve air quality in an overburdened neighborhood, the tool shows five programs available to support that project: the Clean Fleet DCFC Charging and Electric Vehicle Incentive Programs from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, DEP’s Diesel Modernization and New Jersey Fleet Advisor Programs, and the New Jersey Green Bank from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority. The tool also identifies a series of incentive programs that are not currently accepting applications, but which may open again in the future.
To view the One Stop Shop, visit njonestopshop.org.
