The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) has approved phase 1 of the Garden State Energy Storage Program (GSESP). It is a multi-phase program designed to deploy 2,000 MW of energy storage by 2030. The program aims to expand the amount of grid-scale energy storage capacity in New Jersey.
Phase 1 of the program will procure at least 1,000 MW of larger projects directly connected to the main power grid through competitive bidding. The first phase consists of two tranches. The first solicitation aims to award 350-750 MW. The second solicitation will be prepared for the first half of 2026. It will secure the capacity remaining to reach the 1,000 MW target for phase 1 of the program.
Furthermore, the second phase is expected to be launched in 2026. It will focus on incentives for smaller energy storage systems connected to local distribution grids. GSESP may have a potential third phase to introduce a performance-based incentive for transmission-scale systems. The third phase is currently being evaluated.