Community Energy Plan Grant (NJ)

Community Energy Plan Grant (NJ)

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: New Jersey Board of Public Utilities
Amount: Up to US $25,000
Last Updated: July 20, 2025

Summary

The Community Energy Plan Grant (NJ) supports municipalities in developing local climate action plans aligned with New Jersey's Energy Master Plan. This initiative aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through strategic energy use and renewable energy efforts. Grants of $10,000 are available, with $25,000 for Overburdened Municipalities. The program emphasizes support for low- and moderate-income communities, ensuring equitable access to resources needed for energy resilience and efficiency.

Overview

What is a Community Energy Plan? A Community Energy Plan helps a community work toward a better environment for all residents by using the state’s Energy Master Plan (EMP) as a guide to align local efforts. The EMP identifies seven strategies for rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by targeting efforts to reduce energy use, reduce emissions, increase renewable energy, and more. Community Energy Planning is the process by which communities collaboratively select and strategically implement emissions-reducing initiatives that fulfill the EMP goals. This Process includes assembling a planning team of local municipal staff, elected officials, relevant municipal board and commission members, and community volunteers. This planning team assesses the municipality’s needs and helps find the opportunities for energy resiliency, renewable energy, and energy efficiency. Community Energy Plan Grant (CEPG) Program In 2019, the Board established a Community Energy Plan Grant Program. While the EMP provides a framework for a statewide transition to 100% clean energy by 2050, the Community Energy Plan Grant Program provides support to municipalities to develop climate action plans at the local level based on their assessment of which EMP strategies are most applicable in their respective communities. The Community Energy Plan Grant Program was redesigned for program year 2 by the Office of Clean Energy Equity to prioritize low- and moderate-income and overburdened communities by removing barriers to participation and providing more financial and technical support to those communities that are most in need of these grants. Like previous years, municipalities are eligible to receive a $10,000 grant. Municipalities identified as being Overburdened Municipalities (OBMs) are eligible to receive a $25,000 grant. A chart containing OBMs for the current program year can be found below.

Eligibility

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