The Working Together for West Windsor Team (Khanna-Epstein-Zhang) supports green energy initiatives and innovative technologies. Despite current federal policies, West Windsor Township can reduce our carbon footprint and reduce global warming trends at no cost to the taxpayer. We will embrace creative ideas and objective expert opinions to make sound choices for our future.
Regardless of your feelings about climate change, the solar microgrid at the West Windsor municipal complex would save money, bring in lease revenue and enhance public safety. The current West Windsor Township Council, with negative votes by Marathe, Geevers and Bahree, has wasted opportunities to save money, enhance emergency services and improve the environment by repeatedly rejecting the solar microgrid project with PSE&G or other providers.
Built out of sight behind landscaping and public buildings, the microgrid would provide West Windsor tens of thousands of dollars in lease revenue or savings and free energy to municipal buildings. It would also provide critical back-up energy to fire and emergency services and to municipal offices in case of power outage. And at a time when West Windsor seeks to attract green businesses to increase our tax revenue without burdening our schools, the microgrid would help establish West Windsor as a leader in green energy.
West Windsor Council needs new leadership that will make wise decisions based on fiscal responsibility and sound science instead of on political alliances. For about four years, the current council has wasted opportunities to save West Windsor thousands of dollars and be environmental leaders by repeatedly rejecting the solar microgrid project with a solar provider or PSE&G and the state to provide free clean energy to the municipal complex. This project will not only save taxpayers money, it will provide critical backup power to ensure that municipal services are no longer interrupted during storms.
The facts—without political obfuscation—are:
Appearance—solar panels would cover only 2.5 to 3.3 acres out of 45 acres of the municipal compound and would be hidden behind the existing firehouse building and by new landscaping and screen fencing.
Public safety—the microgrid system would ensure electric energy resiliency and stability within the municipal compound, and thereby better ensure the ability of the township to provide emergency services to the community during power outages. The microgrid would enable municipal operations to support all community needs, including routine and critical emergency services on a 24/7 basis without threat of interruption. The new municipal Fire and Emergency Services building does not presently have any power back-up.
Cost saving—four years ago, consultants working with PSE&G proposed using N.J. Board of Public Utilities Solar4All grant money to build the microgrid. Although this proposal would have provided West Windsor more than $29,000 annually in lease revenue, free energy to three municipal buildings and additional back-up energy, the council rejected the plan. Two years ago the council again rejected the microgrid. In response, PSE&G awarded the Solar4All funding to another township, costing West Windsor a valuable grant. Without the microgrid, the new fire and emergency services building must install a generator, which costs at least $150,000 and requires expensive annual maintenance.
With new leadership, West Windsor may still benefit from a microgrid project. A new plan will be put forth for a 15-year contract via bidding to a solar provider—without any upfront costs to West Windsor— to:
1. Connect all five (instead of three) municipal buildings to facilitate shared use of the four existing emergency generators and to provide critical resiliency of municipal services during power outages.
2. Provide renewable electric energy for approximately 65 percent of the municipal complex at a reduced rate that could save between $6,000 and $35,000 per year ($90,000 to $525,000 over 15 years).
3. Eliminate the need to install an additional emergency generator at the fire and emergency services building.
4. Reduce West Windsor’s carbon footprint.
5. Create an education kiosk in the municipal complex to explain how the microgrid and renewable solar energy generation works.
6. Allow West Windsor to remove the panels and restore the land to any use after 15 years.
We pledge to revive the solar microgrid project with PSE&G or other power or solar company and the state to provide free clean energy to the municipal complex.
— Kamal Khanna, Kristin Epstein, Yingchao “YZ” Zhang
Khanna is a candidate for West Windsor mayor running on the same ticket with council candidates Epstein and Zhang.
