Mercer Times

The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) has initiated Earth Week 2024 with the announcement of a new energy plan titled “TCNJ 2040: The Carbon Neutral Journey.” This plan aims to transition the campus to be entirely powered by carbon-free energy sources, including renewables and nuclear power.

Paul Romano, senior director of sustainability and energy management at TCNJ, stated, “This roadmap will identify ways to reduce emissions associated with how we use energy on campus. It will also address how we can reduce emissions attributable to the production of power, as well as energy used to travel to and from campus.”

Funding for this initiative will come from The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities Higher Education Decarbonization Pilot Program. This program supports various decarbonization strategies such as energy efficiency and beneficial electrification. Romano emphasized the financial benefits by saying, “The funding available through this program and the opportunity to leverage those funds with federal initiatives allow colleges like TCNJ to make investments that produce financial savings immediately, while also serving the goal of preserving our environment.”

Christine Guhl-Sadovy, President of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, expressed enthusiasm about TCNJ's participation in the program: “We’re thrilled that TCNJ is participating and look forward to working together on this project.”

To develop their plan, TCNJ has enlisted Salas-O’Brien and engineering consultant team BOND. Mike Walters from Salas O’Brien remarked on TCNJ’s commitment: “As an early Climate Commitment signatory, TCNJ set an admirable example in the higher education community.”

Since joining the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment in 2007, TCNJ has implemented several measures aimed at reducing its carbon footprint. These include installing photovoltaics and electric vehicle charging stations.

In collaboration with PSE&G, other projects are underway focusing on energy efficiency and expanding electric vehicle charging stations. John Latka from PSE&G commended TCNJ’s efforts: “We applaud TCNJ for its drive towards decarbonizing its energy systems... Our aim is to be a positive force in a changing world by providing access to safe, affordable, reliable and cleaner energy.”

For more details about these sustainability efforts at TCNJ, interested parties are encouraged to visit their Department of Sustainability and Energy website.