New Jersey Board of Public Utilities Announces Closeout of Schools and Small Business Energy Efficiency Stimulus Program on October 27: $179.2 Million in Federal Funds Across 364 Projects
Trenton, Mercer County, New Jersey — The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities announced on October 27 the closeout of the five-year Schools and Small Business Energy Efficiency Stimulus Program, which obligated $179.2 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding across 364 projects. To date $166.2 million has been paid out, with final payments on the remaining 19 projects under way. Board President Ben Hertz-Shargel said the nearly $180 million in federal funds helped schools and small businesses move from outdated systems to verified, code-compliant HVAC and plumbing upgrades, with better indoor air quality and lower operating costs that will persist beyond the program's closeout. About 96 percent of the funding, $171.4 million, supported HVAC work, while about 4 percent, $7.8 million, went to plumbing and appliance upgrades. The program ran two tracks — ventilation and HVAC assessment, repair and replacement, and plumbing fixture and outdated commercial appliance replacement — with grants covering up to 75 percent of eligible costs and priority for districts and small businesses in underserved communities. The enabling legislation was signed in August 2021.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于特伦顿的新泽西州议会大厦（资料图）。Niagara 摄，CC BY-SA 3.0，来源：Wikimedia Commons / Photo: The New Jersey State House in Trenton (file photo). By Niagara, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
