New Jersey utilities continue to pile on ambitious solar plans

On the heels of news that New Jersey plans to double its solar power installations, New Jersey-based Atlantic City Electric and Jersey Central Power & Light said today they are issuing a request for proposal to secure solar renewable energy certificates.

The solar subsidiary of New Jersey’s largest utility Public Service Electric & Gas had a $515 million plan approved by state regulators yesterday to install 80 megawatts of solar power through 2013.

The move would effectively double the state’s amount of solar power, making it America's second most solar-powered state, only behind California (see California Dreamin' of miles of solar).

The new production is expected to come from solar modules mounted on PSE&G's 900,000 utility poles, with another 40 MW planned to come from centralized solar arrays.

Atlantic City Electric, a public utility owned by Pepco Holdings (NYSE:POM) and JCP&L, a subsidiary of Akron, Ohio-based FirstEnergy (NYSE:FE), said today they want in on the action too.

Atlantic City Electric provides electricity services to more than 545,000 customers in southern New Jersey, while JCP&L serves more than 1.1 million customers in 13 New Jersey counties.

"By entering into long-term agreements to purchase solar renewable energy certificates, we hope to provide a strong financial incentive for increased investment in solar power projects throughout New Jersey," said John Paganie, First Energy’s vice president of customer service and energy efficiency, in a news release.

More information about the RFP process is available here.

One solar renewable energy certificate represents 1 MW hour of generation from a certified solar facility. A total of 61 MW of solar generating capacity—19 for Atlantic City Electric and 42 for JCP&L—is expected to be solicited to help meet New Jersey's renewable portfolio standards. The solicitations are anticipated to take place over the next three years.

In February, PSE&G, a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group (NYSE:PEG), announced plans to spend $773 million on 120 MW of solar photovoltaics, marking one of the first major projects by a U.S. utility to take advantage of federal solar incentives (see Biggest New Jersey utility to install 120 MW of solar).