NJ Transit would save money by building a hybrid backup power plant, study says - NJ.com

NJ Transit would save money by building a hybrid backup power plant, study says - nj.com

A study commissioned by environmental groups stated that NJ Transit would save more money by building a back-up “TransitGrid” power plant using solar and other renewable technology to generate electricity instead of a natural gas fired power plant, based on head-to-head comparisons of the two technologies.

The study by Strategen Consulting was commissioned by Empower NJ. It stated the hybrid renewable plant would cost less than the proposed natural gas power plant and could result in at least $16 million more in profits over the 2028 to 2050 period, with potentially even higher profits depending on the future price of natural gas.

The study compared a 140 megawatt combined gas plant and an alternative renewable energy-based hybrid microgrid, consisting of solar, batteries, and a much smaller, emergency use only gas turbine. The renewable technology would produce 97 megawatts from solar, 76 megawatts from 4-hour battery storage, and 32 megawatts from the backup gas turbine.