NJ Energy Report – January 2025
Actions and comments affecting the New Jersey energy supply.
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Summary
- The effect of Donald Trump on New Jersey energy,
- Governor Murphy and environmental groups demand New Jersey make its energy transition plan a law.
- Climate change is blamed for homeowner insurance costs increases.
- A confused op-ed on supporting renewable energy was published.
- A solar power milestone is reached.
- Lithium storage battery problems appear.
Comments
Trump’s inauguration scrambles Murphy’s non fossil fuel use energy plan.
Energy Policy Clash
Donald Trump’s inauguration completely upended Governor Murphy’s and the legislators non fossil fuel energy plans. The energy transition to a wind, solar, storage battery powered grid to supply electricity to power an industrial society is suddenly severely wounded. How Trump’s actions will play out is still unknown. While Trump has canceled new offshore wind, existing projects may continue.
Governor Murphy’s solution is to ignore Trumps executive orders by making his energy plan a law. This would restrict future governors and legislators to allow only nuclear, wind and solar energy in the state regardless of their cost, availability or applicability. The detrimental to catastrophic economic, social and political effects of this action are ignored and hidden. .
References
(1`) https://www.njspotlightnews.org/2025/01/new-jersey-gov-phil-murphy-wants-nj-2035-clean-energy-goal-locked-in/
The Monthly Fear Notice
Homeowners Insurance
Normally climate change is going to melt us or drown us. This month it will bankrupt us.
This blog implies all homeowner’s insurance cost increases are due to a deteriorating environment. Climate change!!
- Ignored is the effect of Increasing inflation on replacement costs.
- Ignored is the Incompetence of California officials to prepare for wildfires.
As a starter for proper evaluation these costs must be identified.
References
(1`) https://www.njspotlightnews.org/video/climate-change-risk-hits-nj-homeowners-insurance
Confusion
This is a rambling op-ed blog (1) that confuses electricity blackouts due to equipment or wire failure due to storms with energy insecurity due to economic conditions
References
(1`) https://www.njspotlightnews.org/2025/01/philip-odonkor-op-ed-decentralize-community-centered-energy-systems-end-energy-insecurity/
Energy Supply
Solar Energy
Solar Power Milestone
There are now 5,000 MW of installed solar panels (1) in New Jersey. What does it mean? It means on a bright sunny day at noon, 5,000 MW of electricity are developed which can be used or stored or must be burned away? On less than sunny days, less to zero MW are generated.
Is this electricity reliably generated? No! It may or may not be there regardless of demand? If needed and not generated, how is it replaced? If the electricity goes to storage, how many hours of electricity can be held? What is the cost and life of the storage? These questions are omitted.
Installing solar panels is nice but to expect them to reliably and continually power industry and homes requires storage. Storage whose cost and holding capacity and discharge time are continually ignored.
Reference
(1`) https://www.njspotlightnews.org/video/nj-hits-a-solar-energy-milestone/
Grid Battery Storage
Lithium batteries are the primary storage method for unreliable wind and solar power. The amount of storage capacity must equal the installed wind and solar power and carry this load for a currently unspecified time in hours. New Jersey currently has almost no battery storage installed.
Are there any problems with storage? One problem, which is beginning to appear, is they may spontaneously ignite. One fire recently occurred at Moss Landing (1)(2) in California and another fire occurred in Melbourne Victoria, Australia (3)
References
(2`) https://wattsupwiththat.com/2025/01/18/implications-of-the-moss-battery-plant-fire/
(3`) https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2025/01/30/yet-another-lithium-battery-fire/
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