Most Montclair residents are aware that as a community, as individuals, and as American citizens we now have to make some changes in our lives to reduce the causes of global warming. The most significant area is the way we choose and use energy, both for our transportation and for our electricity.

Fully seventy percent of America’s electricity comes from power plants that burn non-renewable fossil fuels: coal (52%), natural gas (15%), and petroleum (3%). Burning fossil fuels emits carbon dioxide (CO2), the main culprit responsible for intensifying the greenhouse effect in our atmosphere, causing global warming. Reducing our use of electricity through conservation or energy efficiency prevents that from happening.

Choose It or Lose It Switching to clean, renewable, and abundant sources of energy is the other option we have to reduce the burning of fossil fuels for electricity. Some Montclair homeowners are putting up solar panels on their roofs, a terrific way to reduce one’s CO2 “footprint” and save on monthly electricity bills. The NJ Board of Public Utilities’ (BPU) Office of Clean Energy offers economic incentives to encourage residents and businesses to do so.

The Township of Montclair is even trying to arrange the acquisition of a large array of photovoltaic solar panels for the roof of our Public Works garage. But many homeowners may not have that choice right away due to finances, the shape or position of their roof, nearby shade trees, or some other reason.

Now, all Montclair residents – even apartment dwellers – have a terrific opportunity to choose “green” sources of electricity, without having to install solar panels or build a wind turbine in their backyard.

The NJ BPU’s CleanPower Choice Program is one of the first statewide programs in the country that allows any customer of PSE&G (and most other utilities) to easily choose clean, renewable sources of energy such as solar power, wind power, low-impact or small hydro power, or landfill gas power from the regional market in NJ and the mid-Atlantic area.

It’s a Clean Machine When customers sign on to the CleanPower Choice, more renewable energy sources are purchased by PSE&G to meet their electricity needs. And it’s very easy: nothing has to be installed, and you get the same service – and the same gas and electric bill – from PSE&G.

Your monthly electric costs will be a little bit higher because new renewable energy sources are being built. The cost will vary based on the CleanPower product you select, and on your monthly electricity usage – check your electric bill for your actual usage. For an average NJ home (700 kWh per month) the CleanPower Choice Program could cost between $5.78 and $9.10 additional per month – the cost of a few cappuccinos – depending on which source of clean energy you choose.

So you might spend around $100 extra over the whole year for this better product. But if you are saving electricity and money through energy efficiency and conservation, your overall costs over the year could stay the same, or even be reduced.

For example, by switching just six of the 60-Watt bulbs in your home to compact fluorescent bulbs you’d already be saving around $50 per year. By turning off computers, TVs, video games and other electronic equipment whenever they’re not in use, and by buying more efficient EnergyStar appliances, you’ll conserve more and save more money.

By choosing CleanPower, you’ll also have the satisfaction of knowing that you’ve done something real to protect the planet. You’ll be a powerful force pushing the development of renewable energy…while protecting our environment, our NJ shore, the global climate, and our children’s future.

The Two Percent Challenge Township Manager Joe Hartnett and Montclair’s Department of Environmental Affairs support the CleanPower Choice Coalition, which has a goal of promoting those clean energy technologies that reduce energy use, save money, and protect our environment.

In fact, Montclair has signed on to the CleanPower Community Partnership Campaign, setting a goal of getting just 2% of our community’s PSE&G customers to sign up for the CleanPower Choice. Although it sounds easy, Montclair would be one of the first municipalities in the state to become a “Two Percent Town”.

Interested residents can either look for the insert in their April PSE&G bill for details and how to sign up, go to www.NJCleanEnergy.com, or call them at 1-800-NJ-SMART.

If you make the switch, we’d like to know; please call the Environmental Affairs office at (973) 509-5721.