At Sweeney Center conference, experts discuss the need for balancing priorities and integrating multiple energy sources

Despite challenges involving energy supply, demand and capacity, utility and energy experts from across New Jersey expressed optimism in the face of geopolitical and economic uncertainty during “Meeting New Jersey’s Energy Needs: Clean Energy, Supply and Demand” at Rowan University last month.

The event marked the fourth major energy conference presented by the Steve Sweeney Center for Public Policy and was co-sponsored by Rowan’s Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering, the School of Earth & Environment and the Rowan Energy Collaborative (ROWEC).

“Energy is a key driver of our economy, and our economy is a key driver of our energy needs,” said Tim Sullivan, New Jersey Economic Development Authority CEO, delivering the morning keynote speech at the Feb. 27 conference.

Noting statewide growth, Sullivan added, “Energy efficiency is an incredibly important part of how we think about managing the supply-demand imbalance.”

Challenges facing utilities

Panelists addressed the supply-demand gap, the limitations of the state’s 150-year-old grid and how the current adoption of renewable energy sources falls short of meeting energy demand.

Addressing the impact of uncertainty on utility transmission, Michael Renna, president & CEO of South Jersey Industries, said, “We have a real challenge to move the energy this country is projected to demand. Finding that balance is what we should be focused on, and to me, that is right at that intersection of reliability and affordability and then, ultimately, clean.”

New Jersey is generally a net importer of energy, according to Azim Haque, senior vice president of PJM Interconnection. The multiple factors driving what he called a “massive increase” in energy demand include the proliferation of electric vehicles, the onshoring of manufacturing in the United States and the data centers that power artificial intelligence technology.

Larry Barth, director of corporate strategy at NJR Clean Energy Ventures, called the current energy supply-demand imbalance “a new world.”

“We’ve always taken electricity for granted,” he said. “We're talking about quadrupling the size of the electric system and doubling the load in the state. We're all trying to achieve this equilibrium.”

Green energy initiatives

Lyle Rawlings, founder and president of the Mid Atlantic Solar & Energy Association, asserted that New Jersey could still be on track to achieve 100 percent reliance on nuclear, wind and solar energy for electricity by 2035.

“Every renewable energy project delivers a profit,” Rawlings said. “Distributed solar uniquely returns that profit to the public: homeowners, schools, farms, municipal buildings and local businesses. That profit goes right back into the community.”

“Our power plants right now produce about 40 percent of the electricity we consume,” said Erick Ford, president of the New Jersey Energy Coalition, highlighting the importance of nuclear power in the state’s clean energy efforts and the notable advancements in the field.  

Richard Henning, President & CEO of the New Jersey Utilities Association, emphasized the need to integrate all forms of clean energy into planning to meet the state’s future energy needs.

“If we have enough people at the table to talk about all the different types of energy that we can utilize moving forward, we build a better plan,” he said.

Sam Salustro, vice president of strategic communication at Oceantic Network, and Paulina Banasiak O’Connor, executive director of the New Jersey Offshore Wind Alliance, both expressed optimism for the future of offshore wind energy despite recent setbacks.

“It will be very quiet. It will be behind the scenes, but you'll see this industry continue to move forward,” said Salustro.

Echoing those sentiments, O’Connor said, “It's not a matter of if. It's a matter of when.”

Confronting energy challenges under pressure

Afternoon keynote speaker Christina Guhl-Sadovy, president of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, tackled topics of energy demand, achievements in nuclear and solar power generation, advancements in battery storage technology and the BPU’s focus on affordability.

“We need more generation, and no matter what kind of generation it is, it comes with a cost. It also comes with time. We do not have the luxury of either of those,” Guhl-Sadovy said. “We also don't have the luxury of ignoring climate impacts when making our decisions about new generation.”

Rowan’s efforts in meeting energy needs

Introducing the Rowan Energy Collaborative, launched in April 2024, were Marie Elena Casanova, ROWEC program coordinator and assistant director; Joseph F. Stanzione III, professor and director of the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Institute; and Jie Li, associate professor and graduate coordinator in the College of Engineering. Mark Magyar, director of the Sweeney Center, moderated the panel, and Yolanda Mack, associate dean of the College Of Engineering, delivered closing remarks.

“We are interested in understanding the needs coming from industry and working together to attack those problems,” Mack said. “As we move forward, we want to explore ways that we can work together and make sure that our students are building skills that are a match for the future workforce.”