Renewable Energy
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New Jersey Solar Programs
New Jersey is committed to supporting solar energy. The Successor Solar Incentive (SuSI) Program is the current solar program which allows new solar projects to register to earn New Jersey Solar Renewable Energy Credits II (SREC-II). Older projects may be registered in one of New Jersey’s former solar programs, the SREC Registration Program (SRP) or the Transition Incentive (TI) Program, through which they continue to receive SRECs or TRECs. SRECs, TRECs, and SREC-IIs represent the clean energy attributes of electricity generated from a solar energy project.
Click on a link below to take you to a NJ solar program:
Successor Solar Incentive (SuSI) Program
The NJBPU has established a new Successor Solar Incentive Program, known as the “SuSI” Program, which is the long-term program for providing incentives to new solar generation facilities connected to the transmission or distribution systems of New Jersey electric public utilities or local government units. Per Board Order dated July 28, 2021, NJBPU established a process for opening the SuSI Program to new registrations for the ADI Program. The ADI Program registration portal opened to new registrations on Saturday, August 28, 2021, at 12:01 a.m. EST.
The SuSI Program consists of two sub-programs:
1. The Administratively Determined Incentive (ADI) Program provides administratively set incentives for net metered residential projects, net metered non-residential and community solar projects of 5 MW (dc) or less. ADI Program Forms, Checklists, and additional program information can be found on the ADI Program page.
See below for additional information on the ADI Program's Community Solar Energy Program (CSEP):
The Community Solar Energy Program (CSEP) opens to new registrations on December 12, 2023 at 12:01 AM (EST).
Pursuant to the Clean Energy Act of 2018 (L. 2018, c.17) and the Solar Act of 2021 (L. 2021, c. 169), the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) has established a new permanent Community Solar Energy Program (CSEP) by Board Order dated August 16, 2023. The CSEP replaces the Community Solar Pilot Program which was closed to new registrations on February 5, 2021. The CSEP provides incentives to eligible community solar facilities to enable the continued efficient and orderly development of solar electric generating sources throughout New Jersey.
The CSEP is open to eligible solar facilities of 5 MW (dc) or smaller that are installed on the following site types: 1) Rooftops 2) Carport and Canopies 3) Floating Solar and 4) Contaminated Sites and Landfills defined at N.J.S.A. 58:10B-1 and N.J.A.C 14:8-1.2. CSEP Program Forms, Checklists and additional program information can be found on the CSEP Program page .
2. The Competitive Solar Incentive (CSI) Program provides competitively set incentives for grid supply projects and net metered non-residential projects greater than 5 MW (dc). The first solicitation for the CSI Program opened for prequalification on February 1, 2023, and closed to bids on March 31, 2023.
By Board Order dated July 23, 2023, IN THE MATTER OF COMPETITIVE SOLAR INCENTIVE PROGRAM, PURSUANT TO P.L 2021, C.169, ORDER ON THE OUTCOME OF THE 2023 CSI PROGRAM SOLICITATION, the Board rejected all bids submitted in the first solicitation round.
The newly scheduled solicitation for pre-qualification will open to new applications on November 27, 2023, and the solicitation will be closed to bids on February 29, 2024, at 11:59:59 PM (EST) for MW targets referenced in this Order). Pre-qualification applications and bid may be submitted through the New Jersey Competitive Solar Incentive (“CSI”) Program Solicitation website at https://csisolar.nj.gov/
Transition Incentive (TI) Program
By Order dated December 6, 2019, NJBPU established the TI Program to provide a bridge between the Legacy SRP and the Successor Solar Incentive Program (SuSI). The TI Program opened to new applications on May 1, 2020.
Per Board Order dated July 28, 2021, NJBPU established a process for closing the TI Program. The TI portal closed to new applications on Friday, August 27, 2021 at 11:59:59 p.m. EST. Additional details on the process for closing the TI Program can be found here.
Solar projects registered under the TI Program are eligible to create TRECs. The TREC can be sold to the TREC Administrator at fixed prices determined by NJBPU. A solar electric system earns one TREC for each 1,000 kWh (1MWh) of electricity the system generates. For additional information on the TI Program, refer to the TI FAQs.
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Legacy SREC Registration Program (SRP)
The Legacy SRP was the solar program previously used to register solar installations in New Jersey prior to its close on April 30, 2020. Projects currently registered in the SRP may keep their SREC eligibility for the duration of the project’s Qualification Life. The value of the SRECs available through the SRP is determined by the market established by the NJ Renewable Portfolio Standard rules at N.J.A.C. 14:8-2. A solar electric system earns one SREC for each 1,000 kWh (1MWh) of electricity the system generates. Visit this page for more information on NJRPS NJ Renewable Portfolio Standards.
To conform with the Clean Energy Act of 2018 signed into law on May 23, 2018, NJBPU adopted rules to close the SRP to new registrants once 5.1% of the kilowatt-hours sold in the state were generated by solar electric power connected to the distribution system. By Order dated April 6, 2020, NJBPU determined the 5.1% Milestone would be attained on April 30, 2020, at which time the SRP was closed to new registrations. On May 1, 2020, the TI Program opened to new applications. More information on solar proceedings can be found here.
In 2020 the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) approved the final New Jersey Offshore Wind Strategic Plan, the State’s comprehensive roadmap for achieving 7,500 megawatts (MW) of offshore wind energy by 2035. The plan was developed by Ramboll U.S. Corporation through an extensive public stakeholder process. It presents recommendations on establishing an offshore wind industry that achieves net economic benefits and gives New Jersey residents the best overall value, while also protecting the environment, commercial and recreational fishing interests, and mitigating the impacts of climate change. Learn more about offshore wind.
Make sure your home or building is as energy efficient as possible before installing solar. Benefits include, improved comfort and safety, lower energy bills, less renewable capacity needed, and lower upfront cost to install renewable energy. Check with your electric or gas utility regarding programs they may offer to help make your home more energy efficient.