Energy efficiency has become one of the most important elements of the sustainable energy movement. Despite its growth, government support is still essential. Recognizing that need, the state of New Jersey has approved a sizeable incentive.

In February, The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities approved $5.3 million in total incentives for six separate projects. The funds will be leveraged for a total investment of $13.4 million from various private and public sources.

Provided through New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program (NJCEP), the money will pay for equipment upgrades that are projected to reduce demand on the power grid by more than 19.5 megawatt hours (MWh) annually.

NJ Transit, the state’s public transportation corporation, will receive $928,880 in NJCEP incentives through the Large Energy Users Program. The funds will help pay for the installation of 451 light-emitting diode (LED) lights, built-in occupancy and daylight sensors, wireless networking, and integrated controls at the Meadows Maintenance Complex in Kearny, N.J., for an expected annual savings of 3.4 MWh and $386,062.

Cranberry sauce and beverage supplier Clement Pappas & Co. will receive $1,435,865 through the Combined Heat and Power & Fuel Cells Program. The funds will help pay for the replacement of two steam boilers with a 1 MW natural gas co-generation unit at the company’s Bridgeton, N.J., bottling facility. The upgrade is expected to produce 6.3 MWh of onsite electricity per year, while capturing and reusing 20,992 million British thermal units (MMBtu) of waste heat annually for the production of plastic bottles. The new unit will save the facility $449,955 in annual energy costs.

Eickhoff Supermarkets, Inc. and Village Supermarkets, Inc. will each receive $900,000 through the program for the installation of 450-kilowatt cogeneration units at the ShopRite grocery stores in Hainesport, N.J., and Springfield, N.J. The co-generation units are expected to produce 7.2 MWh of electricity and yield $310,502 in cost savings annually.

Grand LHN 1 Urban Renewal will receive $596,664 through the Pay for Performance—New Construction program for a range of energy-efficiency improvements at 18 Park, an 11-story mixed-use building in Jersey City, N.J. The upgrades will include high-efficiency heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, water heaters, windows and lighting. Annual energy savings are estimated to total 1.1 MWh in electricity and 5,915 MMBtu in natural gas.

New Jersey American Water will receive $532,333 in incentives through the Large Energy Users Program to help pay for the installation of high efficiency water pumps, to retrofit existing pumps with variable frequency drives, and to apply heat-resistant protective coating on pump casings. The upgrades will be installed at four American Water pumping stations across New Jersey, saving the company $220,851 per year through the avoidance of more than 1.6 MWh in annual electricity costs.