For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Jackie Greger, Jackie.Greger@sierraclub.org
Gov. Murphy Signs Battery Storage & Solar Bills into Law
LAWRENCEVILLE – Governor Phil Murphy today signed into law S4530/A5768 and A5267/S4289 as part of the Murphy Administration’s ongoing commitment to addressing the regional energy cost crisis by putting New Jersey on a path to nearly double its capacity to deliver affordable, reliable, and renewable energy by 2030. This legislation will facilitate the swift expansion of solar access for 450,000 additional New Jerseyans, including 250,000 low-income families, which will enable the equivalent of one million households to receive solar power by 2028. These bills will also help lower energy costs by vastly accelerating the construction of energy storage facilities across the state. The Governor was joined by legislative sponsors, including Senator Smith, Assembly Karabinchak, Assembly DeAngelo, local leaders, union members, and advocates at IBEW Local 269 in Lawrenceville.
S4530/A5768 directs the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to open registration by October 1, 2025 for an additional 3,000 megawatts of community solar projects. This will mark a massive expansion of New Jersey’s nation-leading solar programs and help hardworking families and businesses save money on their monthly electric bills.
A5267/S4289 establishes a transmission-scale energy storage incentive program to achieve New Jersey's goal of 2,000 megawatts of energy storage by 2030. The program seeks to rapidly install new clean energy capacity and reduce costs for New Jersey’s energy customers.
In an effort to provide necessary energy alternatives, these pieces of legislation allow for the rapid expansion of New Jersey’s community solar program and swift creation of new energy storage facilities. Solar capacity has increased from 2.4 gigawatts to 5.2 gigawatts under the Murphy Administration, with solar currently powering the equivalent of over 600,000 homes.
Anjuli Ramos-Busot, NJ Director of the Sierra Club, made the following statement:
“We thank Governor Murphy and the legislative sponsors for their leadership on these critical bills that will help the state move forward with clean energy development. Energy storage is essential to make renewable energy sources like solar provide energy to its fullest potential by allowing excess energy generated during sunny periods to be saved for peak demand. Incentivizing transmission-scale energy storage while increasing community solar targets will generate more power capacity, help reduce cost of electricity, improve grid reliability, reduce emissions and combat climate change. This is the smart direction New Jersey must continue to go towards.”
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About the Sierra Club: The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information about our work in New Jersey, visit www.sierraclub.org/new-jersey