Energy Dept, New Jersey Team to Build Disaster-Proof Transit Microgrid

The U.S. Energy Department is collaborating with the state of New Jersey to build an electrical microgrid intended to power state’s transit system in the event of natural disasters, Reuters reported Monday.

Selam Gebrekidan writes DOE’s Sandia National Laboratories will design a power grid with generating capacity of more than 50 megawatts.

Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz told an audience at Columbia University the project aims to make the northeast energy infrastructure more resilient to the effects of climate change, Gebrekidan reports.

“It’s not just about building sea-walls, as important as that may be, or about elevating structures close to the sea. It’s also about building smart as we rebuild the infrastructure,” he said, according to Reuters.

Hurricane Sandy cost the state transit system around $400 million, Reuters reports.

Leave a Comment

Leave a comment

Leave a Reply