FREEHOLD – Monmouth County is eligible to receive up to $4.2 million in federal grants for projects that promote energy conservation and efficiency.

The $4,225,800 allocation is part of $75.5 million in energy funding for New Jersey under the Energy Efficiency Block Grants program created by the federal stimulus program. The county has not yet decided how it will spend the money.

Additionally, some larger municipalities in Monmouth County are eligible for direct grants, including Manalapan ($155,300), Marlboro ($162,300), Middletown ($610,800) and Howell ($463,500). Other towns with populations under 35,000 must apply through the state Office of Clean Energy. The state energy office was allocated $14.4 million.

The fact that we have a Greenhouse Gas Reduction strategy and committee in place that encompasses an energy efficiency mandate puts Monmouth County in a good position to prepare a strategy for the utilization of these funds,” Freeholder John D’Amico said. “This is welcome news for towns looking for ways to promote energy conservation and green initiatives.”

The New Jersey money is part of the $3.2 billion that the President Obama’s administration has invested in the block grant program nationwide, through the president’s stimulus package.

“During President Obama’s campaign, he promised this investment in energy conservation projects to help create jobs and spark economic recovery,” Freeholder Barbara J. McMorrow said. “With federal assistance, Monmouth County is ready to put people to work in jobs that will ease our dependence on foreign oil and achieve reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.”

In December, the Board of Chosen Freeholders established the Monmouth County Greenhouse Gas Reduction Committee to address local environmental issues. The committee’s goal is to identify and reduce the amount of GHG emissions the county is producing, and to recommend steps for municipalities to consider when planning for reduced emissions and increased energy efficiency.

New Jersey has mandated a statewide reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, which amounts to a 20 percent reduction, followed by a further reduction of emissions to 80 percent below 2006 levels by 2050. The county is currently conducting an energy audit.

The $3.2 billion nationwide will help pay for energy audits and energy retrofits in residential and commercial buildings, development of advanced building codes, and transportation programs that conserve energy. It also can be used for projects that reduce and capture methane gas emissions from landfills, and installation of energy efficient traffic signals, streetlights and heating/cooling systems. 
 
“Due to the county’s regional perspective in transportation planning, water conservation and wastewater and solid waste management, the county can play an important role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” D’Amico said. “News of this stimulus money for energy conservation projects is very significant. These projects will have a positive lasting impact on our landscape.”

Even with a countywide energy audit under way, Monmouth County continues to be at the leading edge of technologies that promote renewable energy and cost savings at the Reclamation Center in Tinton Falls, including:

A gas-to-energy program that harnesses methane gas produced naturally by decomposing garbage and converts it into electricity – enough to power some 10,000 homes as well as the landfill’s Materials Processing and Recovery Facility, providing steady income and saving the county in what it would cost to buy electricity from JCP&L. The savings equate to more than $2 million a year for county taxpayers.

A recycling program that developed a productive use for broken, mixed-colored glass. The county uses the otherwise unmarketable glass and pulverizes it into a sand-like aggregate product that the county uses with the landfill’s protective liner and drainage system as well as supplementing our daily cover needs. The county saves about $25,000 a month for its operational budget and reduces the capital expenditure for drainage system construction by about $55,000 per acre.

Additionally, the county Department of Public Works has switched to bio-diesel fuel for the county’s vehicle fleet, and last year the Highway Department stopped using rock salt treated with potentially harmful calcium and instead began using rock salt treated with magnesium chloride, which is biodegradable and does not damage grass and plants. It works better than calcium chloride, too, which means workers spend half the time applying it during a storm.

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