An initial estimate of $12 million didn’t scare away the Willingboro (N.J.) Municipal Utilities Authority from adding substantial renewable energy resources. It helped when project costs came in much lower than first thought.
Then funds from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (federal stimulus) and New Jersey renewable energy rebates made the picture that much brighter.
“We have a positive cash flow in the first year,” says Joe Bateman, executive director. The work included solar photovoltaic installations at the Willingboro Pollution Control Facility (879,500 kWh/yr) and the city’s water treatment plant (271,000 kWh/yr). The total cost was about $8 million: $2.5 million
