TOMS RIVER – Ocean County's efforts to conserve energy with the implementation of innovative conservation measures has resulted in savings and incentives totaling over $1.2 million being paid to the County.

"We were the first County in New Jersey to implement an Energy Savings Improvement Program (ESIP)," said Director of the Ocean County Board of Commissioners Joseph H. Vicari, who serves as liaison to the Ocean County Department of Buildings and Grounds. "We have successfully met the program's benchmarks and have received several financial incentives from the state."

Ocean County received the final incentive of $220,000 at the end of 2022 from the state Board of Public Utilities.

The $1.2 million in incentives from the BPU was based on the installation of the Combined Heat and Power & Fuel Cell (CHP) at the Ocean County Justice Complex at 120 Hooper Ave., here. The CHP, which is a energy efficient heating and cooling system, is the centerpiece of the County's energy program.

The first incentive in the amount of $330,000 was paid in June 2019, following the County's purchase of the system's major components. The second incentive in the amount of $660,000.00 was received on July 6, 2020. The third incentive in the amount of $220,000 came in December 2022.

"By implementing a cutting edge Energy Savings Improvement Program, Ocean County has directly impacted the ability to stretch County dollars and achieve higher levels of fiscal responsibility," Vicari said. "In turn, we are doing our part for the environment with buildings that run cleaner and more efficiently."

Ocean County kicked off its energy program in 2014, when the County requested participation in the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities Local Government Energy Audit which identified cost-justified energy efficiency measures in various facilities located in the Downtown Toms River complex.

The audit was performed on the following facilities: the Ocean County Justice Complex, the Ocean County Jail, the East Wing of the Ocean County Courthouse, the Ocean County Administration Building, the Ocean County Government offices at 129 Hooper Avenue, the Ocean County Parking Garage and the Ocean County Prosecutor's Building.

The audit included a review of electric and natural gas usage, lighting systems, HVAC equipment and controls, building envelopes including roofs, windows, doorways, and occupancy schedules and maintenance practices.

According to Ocean County Administrator Michael J. Fiure, as a result of the audit, the County developed the Energy Savings Improvement Plan to implement cost effective energy efficiency measures and facility upgrades including the replacement and upgrading of antiquated equipment with energy resilient systems that were designed to reduce operating expenses, save energy and reduce emissions.

He added these improvements were funded with incentives offered by the state of New Jersey along with energy savings realized as a result of the replacements and upgrades.

"By installing high tech, energy efficient systems, we are realizing the substantial savings that comes along with it," Vicari said. "We want to make certain our buildings are powered with clean and efficient energy. These steps help save money and protect our environment.

"The incentives made undertaking the energy master plan extremely worthwhile," Vicari added. "This was an important step in the work Ocean County has been doing to create more energy efficient facilities."
Ocean County has seen a saving of $650,000 annually since the implementation of the energy savings program.

"It's important that we have a reliable energy system to keep the power on in our buildings during storms or other incidents that can result in the loss of power," Fiure said. "Ocean County government needs to continue to function during these times and the CHP has been doing its job while saving us money."