The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ TRANSIT) prepared an Agency and Public Coordination Plan for the NJ TRANSITGRID TRACTION POWER SYSTEM (the Project). The Agency and Public Coordination Plan, updated April 12, 2019, was prepared following FTA’s “Environmental Review Process Guidance” that addresses statutory requirements regarding the environmental review of FTA actions. The document can be viewed here.
The Agency and Public Coordination Plan was written and is periodically revised during the Project’s environmental review process to ensure agency and public input. The document is updated to reflect the most current Project information and agency and public involvement techniques that are appropriate to the current Project stage.
About the NJ TRANSITGRID TRACTION POWER SYSTEM
NJ TRANSIT proposes to design and construct the NJ TRANSITGRID TRACTION POWER SYSTEM, a first-of-its-kind microgrid designed to provide highly reliable power to support limited service in a core segment of NJ TRANSIT’s and Amtrak’s critical service territory. As defined by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), a microgrid is a local energy grid with control capability, which means it can disconnect from the traditional grid and operate autonomously.
The purpose of the proposed Project is to enhance the resiliency of the electricity supply to the NJ TRANSIT and Amtrak infrastructure that serves key commuter markets in New York and New Jersey to minimize public transportation service disruptions. The region’s public transportation infrastructure is vulnerable to power outages due to the nature of the existing centralized power distribution system and the intensity and frequency of severe weather events. The microgrid would be capable of providing energy to portions of Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor, NJ TRANSIT’s Morris & Essex Line, and NJ TRANSIT’s HBLR system during power outages. The microgrid would generate power 24/7.