PSE&G released a Request for Proposal (RFP) announcement related to PSE&G’s Solar 4 All Extension program to interested Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contractors and site owners to provide proposals for construction on fully-engineered solar projects located on landfill or brownfield sites within PSE&G’s electric service territory.

Specifics and the requirements for qualified EPC contractors are detailed in the RFP (download announcement here).  Registration for interested parties opened on Tuesday October 8, 2013 and closes on Friday October 19, 2013.  EPC contractors MUST register and provide required documentation in order to access the complete RFP.

The Environmental Protection Agency released guidance Sept. 25 to inform urban planners, engineers and developers how they can use bioswales, rain gardens and porous pavements to capture stormwater runoff at brownfield sites without mobilizing pollutants in the soil and contaminating groundwater. The guidance, “Implementing Stormwater Infiltration Practices at Vacant Parcels and Brownfield Sites,” addresses six key questions to determine whether infiltration-which allows accumulated stormwater runoff to percolate into the subsoil-or other management approaches are appropriate for a specific brownfield property. The guidance, prepared by the EPA Office of Water and the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, said stormwater management planning should be done alongside site investigation, state approvals, selection of cleanup approaches and design and engineering of site improvements. The guidance is available here.

The New Jersey Economic Opportunity Act of 2013 (summary) was signed into law on September 18, 2013.  The Act streamlines New Jersey’s five existing economic development incentive programs into two; the Grow New Jersey Assistance (Grow NJ) Program will be the State’s main job creation and retention incentive program and the Economic Redevelopment and Growth (ERG) program will be New Jersey’s key developer incentive program. The EDA is no longer accepting applications for assistance under the Business Employment Incentive Program (BEIP), Business Retention and Relocation Assistance Grant (BRRAG) Program and Urban Transit Hub Tax Credit (UTHTC) Programs; applications that have been submitted prior to the enactment of the new law will be processed by December 31, 2013.  To view the Act, click here.

Each year EPA receives numerous inquiries regarding preparation of proposals for the Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup (ARC) grant competitions. Many potential applicants find that it is difficult to prepare their proposals in only 60 days, the typical amount of time the Request for Proposals (RFP) allows from publication until the proposals are due. While the RFP for the ARC Guidelines is on schedule to be available in early Fall, there are still many activities that applicants can perform in advance of the RFP. Many of the activities are listed in a new 3-page EPA guidance document.

There is a lot of buzz about New Jersey being a national leader in solar installation.  Here are the latest statistics on the amount of solar installed and the amount of solar to be installed (according to registration numbers supplied by the NJ Board of Public Utilities.)

Listed below is the preliminary update of the NJ Clean Energy Program Installed Solar Capacity as of September 18, 2013.

Listed below is the preliminary update of the NJ Clean Energy Program Solar Capacity for projects in the Pipeline as of September 18, 2013.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 2 Brownfields team would like to invite you to participate in its upcoming Brownfields Proposal Guidelines Workshops (Helping Applicants Understand Grant Requirements). The workshops are designed to assist local government and nonprofit organizations to better understand the proposal criteria and selection process for EPA’s Brownfields assessment, cleanup, and RLF grants. Download the PDF for more information.

EPA’s Office of Sustainable Communities is seeking letters of interest from state capital cities interested in receiving design assistance to create a clear and implementable vision of distinctive, environmentally friendly neighborhoods that incorporate smart growth strategies and green infrastructure systems. Letters of interest are due no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on September 23, 2013.  

Design assistance is provided through the Greening America’s Capitals program, administered by EPA. EPA conducts the program in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) through the  Partnership for Sustainable Communities. Fourteen state capitals plus the District of Columbia have received assistance from the Greening America’s Capitals program to date; up to 5 capital cities will be selected in 2013.

EPA is providing this design assistance to help state capitals create stronger neighborhoods that protect the environment. EPA will fund a team of designers to visit the successful applicants’ capital cities for up to three days to produce schematic designs and illustrations intended to catalyze or complement a larger planning process for a neighborhood. In the past, the EPA team has provided sustainable design techniques for streets, parks, waterfronts, and town squares. This assistance will help the selected state capitals envision ways to clean up and reuse vacant lands, provide more housing and transportation choices, reduce infrastructure and energy costs, and build civic pride in neighborhoods and the city as a whole. The design team and EPA, HUD, and DOT staff will also assist the city staff in developing specific implementation strategies.

See the Request for Letters of Interest (PDF) for more information.

The New York Times Real Estate page on 12/11/12 featured an article on community health centers and noted a national  trend to build them on brownfield sites, due in part to the availability of tax credits and grants that serve as seed money to attract other funding.  The article by Ronda Kaysen features the Spectrum Health Services Center in Philadelphia on Haverford Avenue.