“It does feel like a betrayal,” clean-energy advocate Sam DiFalco said about NJ Transit’s revised plans for a natural gas-fueled power plant in Kearny. The plant is supposed to supply electricity to keep trains running during massive power outages like the one caused by Superstorm Sandy.
Environmental groups had lobbied hard for a solar-powered plant and Gov. Phil Murphy advised NJ Transit in fall 2020 to come up with a greener blueprint. NJ Transit promised to “reimagine” a more environmentally friendly project but a gas-powered plant still dominates the agency’s new request for proposals from developers. “It’s clear the RFP is very tilted towards fossil fuels,” said Dave Pringle of Clean Water Action. NJ Transit says it is committed to designs that maximize clean energy.
