21 New Jersey Municipalities and School Districts Matched with EDF Climate Corps® Fellows to Advance Energy Goals
on Jun 01, 2021
Funding Provided by Jersey Central Power & Light, New Jersey Natural Gas, South Jersey Gas and EDF
Today, Sustainable Jersey announced the seventeen municipalities and four school districts that were selected to receive an Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) Climate Corps Fellow. Sustainable Jersey is pairing Climate Corps Fellows with municipalities and school districts to provide expertise and support for evaluation, planning and implementation of projects that will help improve the energy performance of their facilities.
Six of the 2021 Climate Corps Fellows are compensated through funding provided by the sponsoring utilities including Jersey Central Power & Light, New Jersey Natural Gas and South Jersey Gas. In addition, EDF and Sustainable Jersey are directly supporting two Climate Corps Fellows to work with distressed municipalities participating in Sustainable Jersey. The New Jersey Municipal Revitalization Index (MRI) was used to identify community distress levels when considering applications.
The municipalities and school districts that will be paired with an EDF Climate Corps Fellow in 2021 are:
Atlantic County: Egg Harbor City
Camden County: Borough of Lawnside
Cape May County: Borough of Wildwood Crest
Cumberland County: City of Vineland
Essex County: Irvington Township
Gloucester County: Glassboro Public Schools
Hudson County: Town of West New York
Hunterdon County: Borough of Flemington
Monmouth County:
• City of Long Branch
• Township of Ocean School District
• Borough of Matawan
• Keyport Borough
• City of Asbury Park
• Fair Haven Public Schools
• Borough of Fair Haven
• Township of Aberdeen
Ocean County:
• Borough of Ocean Gate
• Manchester Township
Salem County: Mannington Township School
Sussex County: Stillwater Township
Union County: Township of Hillside
Since the Climate Corps® program’s inception in 2008, over 1,100 graduate students have been placed in more than 520 leading organizations spanning the United States and China. Together they have helped identify energy savings worth more than $1.6 billion, the equivalent of 2.2 million metric tons in carbon emissions. Climate Corps® Director Scott Wood said, “With public school districts and local municipalities often looking to do more with less and to meet their aggressive sustainability targets, Climate Corps has proven to be a valuable resource. Fellows are helping jumpstart and accelerate climate and energy projects that can cut costs and reduce carbon emissions. Every dollar saved on energy is a dollar that can be reinvested in the community and help the mission of these important institutions.”
Since 2015, Sustainable Jersey, with the support of New Jersey Natural Gas, has placed 18 EDF Fellows to assist a total of 25 schools/school districts and 24 municipalities. “We are proud of our partnership with Sustainable Jersey – now in its 11th year – to help connect communities with the resources they need to make wise energy choices,” said Anne-Marie Peracchio, director of conservation and clean energy policy for New Jersey Natural Gas. “The host towns and schools will benefit greatly from this unique opportunity as the Climate Corps Fellows provide guidance and insight to help them address challenges and plan customized energy-efficiency solutions that help advance their sustainability goals.”
“South Jersey Gas is proud to support the EDF Fellows program through Sustainable Jersey to work with three cities and two school districts in our service territory. We strive to empower our customers to become more aware of their energy use, and to implement strategic solutions that lead to energy efficiency and conservation,” said Deborah M. Franco, Vice President of Rates, Regulatory and Sustainability at SJI Utilities. “This program complements our expanding suite of efficiency and conservation efforts that are reducing emissions and working towards New Jersey clean energy future.”
This year, Jersey Central Power & Light is funding EDF Fellows for placement in three municipalities. “We are proud to welcome the 2021 Class of EDF Fellows,” said James V. Fakult, president of Jersey Central Power & Light. “Improved energy efficiency provides long-term environmental and economic benefits for our local communities and schools, and we are excited to continue to support them on this journey.”
“Supporting municipalities and schools with technical expertise to do sustainable energy projects is an important step toward our goal of a sustainable New Jersey,” said Sustainable Jersey Executive Director Randall Solomon. “Now more than ever, we need our municipal and school district leaders to emphasize and more importantly to showcase how solving climate change also builds a healthier, stronger economy and a more resilient future for all.” Sustainable Jersey has been placing EDF Climate Corps Fellows since 2015. Learn how these Fellows have helped New Jersey municipalities and school districts advance their energy initiatives: Previous EDF Fellow Projects.