The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) has approved Phase One of the Garden State Energy Storage Programme (GSESP), a major initiative to deploy 2,000MW of grid-scale energy storage by 2030.

The program's first phase targets 1,000MW, with an initial solicitation of 350-750MW. A pre-qualification process begins on June 25, followed by a final bid deadline on August 20. A second solicitation to secure the remaining capacity is scheduled for early 2026.

Phase One will be funded primarily through the New Jersey Clean Energy Programme (NJCEP) and aims to quickly integrate energy storage systems (ESS) into the grid. These systems are expected to reduce wholesale electricity costs, modernize infrastructure, and support the state's clean energy goals.

The NJBPU emphasized the urgency of rapid ESS deployment due to constraints in building traditional power plants over the next five years. The program also includes incentives for projects in overburdened communities and on brownfield sites.

Phase Two, expected in 2026, will focus on distributed ESS connected to local distribution grids. A possible Phase Three may introduce performance-based incentives for transmission-scale storage, pending further evaluation.

New Jersey has historically lagged in ESS deployment. The new initiative follows previous policy proposals and the advancement of a legislative pilot program in 2024 designed to incentivize storage projects.

Source: energy-storage.news