Feb. 10

New Jersey gas and electric utility Public Service Enterprise Group Inc. is calling on the federal government to adopt a national renewable portfolio standard.

Ralph Izzo, president, chairman and CEO of the Newark, N.J.-based utility, testified before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Feb. 10. A renewable portfolio standard would set a minimum requirement for electricity generated from renewable sources.

"We urgently need decisive federal action, not a patchwork of state and regional fixes, but a strong, progressive national energy policy," he said. "A national renewable energy portfolio standard is an essential component of such an energy policy because it creates a demand for technology that will transform the way we generate electricity."

A national standard would send a clear signal to utilities to increase their investment in renewable energy and would create good-paying green jobs, Izzo said.

Separately, PSEG asked the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities to approve a $773-million proposal to develop 120 megawatts of solar energy. The utility wants to use brownfields and other underdeveloped properties for solar power generation.

Contact Waste & Recycling News reporter Joe Truini at 330-865-6166 or jtruini@crain.com

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