Public utilities board proposes expanding New Jersey’s energy storage program

New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities has proposed expanding its Garden State Energy Storage Program to open up 150 megawatts of energy storage across the state, including home battery systems. The plan is part of the state's push to reach 2 gigawatts of energy storage by 2030, and it's meant to lower energy costs, add clean power to the grid, and make the electric system more reliable during heat waves or cold snaps.

For homeowners with a battery system, or thinking about installing one, the proposal would let you enroll your battery and get paid for sending stored power back to the grid during times of high demand. Under the plan, you could receive annual incentive payments over a 10-year term. The state's four electric utilities — Atlantic City Electric, Jersey Central Power & Light, PSE&G, and Rockland Electric — would handle enrollment, coordinate when batteries get called on, track how they perform, and issue the payments, all under state oversight.

This is currently a "straw proposal," meaning it's an early draft open for public comment before anything is finalized. No enrollment details, payment amounts, or start dates have been set yet. If you own a home in New Jersey and have battery storage, or are considering it, this is worth watching, since it could turn your battery into a source of ongoing income rather than just backup power for outages.