TRENTON – A measure sponsored by Senator Linda R. Greenstein that would ensure that state government is not hampered due to power outages and future disasters was unanimously approved today by the Senate Environment and Energy Committee.
“New Jersey government provides important and vital services that assist the residents and keep the state moving forward, but when disaster strikes that knocks out the power, government is often stalled in their efforts to work for the people,” said Senator Greenstein, D-Middlesex and Mercer, and Vice Chairwoman of the Committee. “As we invest in new buildings and infrastructure in the state, we should include contingency plans in the designs. Adding a backup power source, such as a generator, is a common sense solution to ensure the future efficiency of our state government.”
The bill, S-2340 would require any newly-constructed state building over 15,000 square feet to be equipped with a distributed energy source such as a generator to power the building in the case of a power outage. The legislation would also require any state building that is being reconstructed, renovated or repaired to consider retrofitting the building with a distributed energy resource when feasible.
The bill is also protective of the environment because the new dedicated power source, which would likely be natural gas, would be cleaner than the emergency generators that might otherwise be used.
The bill now heads to the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee for further review.