Working toward a cleaner energy future

This Climate Week, we at PSEG reflect on how our operations and business practices have integrated sustainability and environmental stewardship. Our efforts in this area extend far beyond the confines of one week — sustainability and environmental stewardship are important to our business and our work in the communities we serve every day.

We aim for our customers to experience the positive impact of our sustainability efforts through our safe, reliable service even as storms grow stronger and more frequent. The majority of Americans want clean energy and steps to address climate change — and we’re listening. We deliver on ways to help reduce our customers’ carbon footprint and integrate biodiversity into our infrastructure planning.

System resiliency

After Superstorm Sandy struck our region in October 2012, we embarked on a massive infrastructure improvement program—Energy Strong —that has since gone through several phases.

During the 11 years following the storm, we have made significant infrastructure improvements to reduce vulnerabilities, such as raising or hardening more than 60 substations. As a result, during Hurricane Ida in 2021, when we had flooding throughout our service territory, including a substation with almost 56 inches of flood water, there was no power outage or equipment damage.

“I have worked at PSE&G for over 35 years. I have seen more severe storms in the past 12 years than I did in my first 25 years combined,” said Kim Hanemann, president and chief operating officer of PSE&G. “PSE&G is investing in infrastructure to make sure we can reliably deliver energy in a future where storms are more frequent and severe and where people are dependent on electricity to power more aspects of their everyday lives.”

Biodiversity

We strive to balance safe operations with protecting the flora and fauna that call New Jersey home. Biodiversity, which encompasses the variety of life on Earth and the care and maintenance of natural resources, plays a crucial role in maintaining ecosystem stability. Healthy ecosystems, rich in diverse species, can better withstand and adapt to climate changes, such as rising temperatures and changing weather patterns.

Examples of how we support biodiversity include efforts to entice birds to safe nesting spots and work with experts who manage our rights-of-way to help protect the habitats of endangered or protected plants and animals who live there. One example of this work is our landmark Estuary Enhancement Program at PSEG Nuclear, which has restored thousands of acres of marshland in South Jersey.

“Our company operates within a biologically diverse region that is home to a wide variety of wildlife,” said Claudia Rocca, licensing project manager, Electric Transmission & Distribution – Environmental Projects & Services. “Because of the complex ecosystems where PSEG operates, we integrate efforts to protect the environment into our strategic planning. It is our mission to foster a harmonious balance so that endangered or protected species can thrive while we do the work necessary to deliver energy safely and reliably.”

Reducing emissions

Today, about 70% of New Jersey households rely on natural gas as their primary heating fuel, with many homes also using it for cooking and other appliances. Some of the pipes that deliver natural gas in PSE&G’s service territory are made of old, inefficient cast iron or unprotected steel main that was installed 50 to 100 years ago. These materials are more prone to leaks than modern pipes.

For years, PSE&G has been replacing aging pipes and curbing methane emissions in the process. By the end of 2023, we reduced our methane emissions to 27% of 2018 levels. This work continues under the Gas System Modernization Program.

“As part of our commitment to being a leader in clean energy, PSEG supports a balanced approach to meeting today’s energy demand that recognizes natural gas as a necessary fuel to maintain affordability and reliability, while we prepare to transition to lower carbon fuels and electrification,” said Brian Clark, vice president of Gas Operations at PSE&G. “Pipe upgrades are part of the efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions – especially in overburdened communities that are disproportionately impacted by climate change.” 

Energy efficiency

As of March 2024, over 380,000 customers have taken action to save energy and money through our suite of energy efficiency programs in the PSE&G Clean Energy Future Energy Efficiency program.

For electric customers involved in these initiatives, projected savings exceed 2.1 million megawatt-hours of electricity annually, which is enough to power over 312,000 New Jersey homes each year. Additionally, participating natural gas customers are expected to save approximately 57 million therms of natural gas annually.

Collectively, these efforts are estimated to avoid about 1.6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, equivalent to the emissions from 349,000 gasoline-powered cars on the road for a year.

“Lowering energy use isn’t just good for the planet, it is also good for customers,” said Karen Reif, vice president of Renewables and Energy Solutions at PSE&G. “Through various energy efficiency initiatives, participating customers are projected to save a collective $484 million annually on their utility bills.”

Nuclear power

PSEG Nuclear’s generating stations produce over 40% of New Jersey’s electricity, enough to power three million homes, and comprise 85% of the state’s air carbon-free generation. The plants also employ 1,600 people in South Jersey and are important to New Jersey’s economic development goals.

To keep the carbon-free power going, we notified the Nuclear Regulatory Commission of our intention to pursue 20-year license renewals for all three of our reactors in New Jersey. This would extend operational capabilities for the Salem facilities to 2056 and 2060, respectively, and the Hope Creek station to 2066.

“We are incredibly proud of the impact our nuclear plants have in South Jersey and across our state,” said Charles (Chaz) McFeaters, president and chief nuclear officer of PSEG Nuclear. “Over the past few years, policymakers have recognized that nuclear power is essential to meeting New Jersey’s clean energy goals, particularly because nuclear power is the only 24/7 carbon-free generation that exists today. We are excited to continue delivering nuclear power well into the future.”

Climate Week and beyond

As demonstrated in our recent rank as third overall out of 47 investor-owned utilities in the 2023 Utility Decarbonization Index in National Public Utilities Council in their Utility Decarbonization Report , we are proud to be working toward a brighter, cleaner energy future this Climate Week, and every week of the year.