Public Service Electric and Gas Co (PSE&G) proposed an aggressive plan to the state of New Jersey that will not only reduce carbon emissions but will also save billions of dollars in the future. A plan this large and revolutionary will be a leading figure in the move to investing into clean energy and energy efficient equipment for other states and countries. By investing a whopping four billion dollars in clean energy today, PSE&G is hoping to receive a larger impact and return. As huge companies make bold moves and plans towards clean energy, we start to think how that affects engineers and future workforce. In particular, there will be a higher demand in computer or electrical engineers because energy efficiency, energy storage and energy clouds are designed and implemented by engineers. This is great news for engineers because new technology will be innovated and installed by engineers and labor workers. As the move to renewable energy worldwide is prominent, we take a look at the ethics and effects of nonrenewable energy and how utility companies that generate nonrenewable energy will be impacted. Recently, society has gained momentum towards an eco-friendly attitude because of the plethora sources of evidence that humans have a devastating effect on the environment. The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) [1] states, “Coal production peaked in 2008, trended down through 2016, and increased about 6% in 2017”; however, because of the environmental impact burning coal has, natural gas has become a new alternative leading as the primary energy producer. PSE&G’s plan is a monumental moment in history because of the technology and growth of smart energy including the huge savings that shall benefit New Jersey residents. As humans start to grow more ecofriendly, I am curious as to what the next big source for energy will be!
Executive Summary
This report shall describe the entirety of the Clean Energy Future Program proposed by PSE&G to the New Jersey Board of Utilities. In addition, the report shall describe the ethics and effects of renewable and nonrenewable energy sources. Lastly, it will discuss the opportunities PSE&G’s plan has for the future workforce of electrical and computer engineers.
The Clean Energy Future Program aims to invest $6 billion dollars over six years towards energy efficient technology, electric vehicle charging stations, energy cloud as well as new efficient energy storage. The plan is expected to not only reduce 40 million tons of carbon emissions but also produce $7.4 billion dollars in energy savings for customers [6]. Moreover, the huge investment aims to lower New Jersey residents electrical and gas bills lower than what they used to be 10 years ago. Lastly, the ultimate goal of the project is to grow energy efficiency in New Jersey and run on 50% of renewable energy by 2030.
Computer and electrical engineers have a huge opportunity in the growth of clean energy because of the large investments in electric vehicles and energy storage. $364 million dollars of the plan will be invested in the EV program while $180 million will be proposed to energy storage development. Lastly, $800 million shall be invested into energy cloud development. [6]
Now is an amazing and crucial time to be an engineer!
Report Body
The 21st century is a generation like no other in terms of energy consumption and human impact on the environment. As people grew discontent to the environmental impact caused by humans, leading powers knew they had to jump into action. In particular, states within the United States have agreed to create an ambitious requirement to increase renewable power by 50% by 2030 [2]. In return, PSE&G has initiated a bold plan for the state of New Jersey to invest $6 billion in clean energy.
PSE&G created the Clean Energy Future Program that will invest in four regions: energy efficiency, electric vehicle charging, energy storage and energy cloud design. Ralph Izzo, president of PSE&G stated “PSE&G’s proposed investments support New Jersey’s clean energy goals, while putting our customers’ needs at the forefront” [6]. The energy efficiency division will allow New Jersey residents to purchase discounted smart appliances including energy efficient kits and tools for their homes and appliances that uses energy resourcefully. This plan is impactful because it gives reaches those who are low income residents that aren’t capable of affording energy efficient technology. In return, the utility company will decrease demand for energy generation. This is a vast undertaking because by slashing the cost of generation, the cost and demand of electricity will diminish drastically opening up opportunities for renewable energy sources.
The Clean Energy Future program will also install nearly 40 thousand chargers for electric vehicles in public areas and promote electric school buses in place of diesel run school buses [6]. This will not only save millions of carbon admissions but will motivate the growth of electric mass transit. This is amazing for electrical and computer engineers because increased funding will help develop innovative technology and amplify the demand for creative thinkers and problem solvers.
One of the challenges that utility companies including PSE&G face is storing electricity in bulk. Energy storage in bulk is not economically possible without significant costs. The United States EIA states [3], “An $8 million battery system with a nameplate power capacity of 4 megawatts and nameplate energy capacity of 10 megawatt-hours would have relatively high-power costs ($2,000 per kilowatt) and relatively low energy costs ($800 per kilowatt-hour).” In other words, the cost of charging an expensive battery system will exceed a feasible cost of electricity for consumers. In an aim to develop a more flexible, affordable and effective system, PSE&G will invest in five programs over six years that include: solar smoothing, distribution deferral, mobile storage, micro-grids for critical facilities and peak reduction for public sector facilities [6]. Investing in these programs is critical because PSE&G could be the first company to be capable of producing efficient and inexpensive energy storage capacity. If successful, PSE&G could gain worldwide recognition prompting an amplified need for engineers who could discover the next best energy storing battery. In addition, engineers are needed to innovate and brainstorm a more effective grid that will diminish power loss. Lastly, such an accomplishment will increase the chances of developing a stronger battery capacity in electric vehicles which could transform transportation forever.
PSE&G will invest to develop the Energy Cloud that will provide software, service and product solutions to the company’s customers. One of the biggest movements in Energy Cloud region is to install smart meters for all customers. In return, PSE&G will acquire improved control of their customers’ needs and improve reliability [6]. As an engineer, this is seen as an opportunity to develop improved smart meters and implement the core of the energy cloud.
PSE&G’s plan for a clean energy future is a leading example of the possible opportunities clean energy alternatives could provide. From an ethical standpoint, renewable energy is an attractive area to invest because it attracts the young population who are more concerned with human impact on the environment. As all the positives are shown from PSE&G’s plan, huge companies continue to use nonrenewable energy sources such as fossil fuels, coal and petroleum. The effects of nonrenewable are devastating both environmentally and economically. By burning fossil fuels, carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere triggering climate change effects. Moreover, air and water pollution is the result of producing energy which in return causes health impacts such as respiratory problems and cancer, as well as clean water contamination. From an economic standpoint, renewable energy has a greater impact on the economy compared to nonrenewable energy. From an article about clean energy jobs, clean energy development will create 200 thousand more jobs than the coal industry had in 2016 [5]. This is supported because as new technology appears, jobs begin to prosper in design, installation and maintenance of the product. Moreover, the government initiative for states to be 50% dependent on renewable energy is a catalyst to the movement. Lastly, to strengthen the ineffectiveness of nonrenewable energy, sources such as coal, fossil fuels and petroleum will not last forever. As population increases, demand for nonrenewable will be expensive, exclusive and scarce.
As new technology emerges and clean energy begins to be a possible alternative for nonrenewable energy, we look at the strengthens and weaknesses renewables will bring. Renewable energy will bring prosperity to the economy and diminish the harmful effects on the environment. Although the cost to create clean energy is costly, the return in the future will be much greater. As an electrical or computer engineer, possibilities in research, design and employment arise. PSE&G’s first step in the right direction could be the movement that the world has been waiting for.