PEAK Coalition urges New Jersey to mandate battery storage at gas peaker plant

A group of environmental justice organizations is pushing New Jersey regulators to require battery storage at the Bayonne Energy Center, a gas "peaker" plant (one that runs mainly during high-demand periods) that helps power New York City. The coalition, called PEAK Coalition, wants the state's environmental agency to attach that requirement to the plant's operating permit renewal, along with an upgrade of its turbines to a more efficient type. They're asking for at least 65 MW/780 MWh of battery storage, which they say could replace most of the plant's short-term operating runs and cut several types of pollution, including carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides, by a few percentage points plant-wide.

The plant's operator is already building a smaller battery addition of its own, 50 MW/200 MWh, that has been working through state and local approvals since 2023. But the coalition says that project falls well short of what they're requesting. Part of their argument rests on New Jersey's Environmental Justice Law, which they say gives regulators the authority to weigh the pollution burden already carried by the community around the plant.

This fight is playing out against a bigger backdrop: New Jersey's governor recently ordered the state to pursue up to 750 MW of battery storage statewide, partly to address rising electricity costs. None of this changes anything for homeowners right now, but it's a sign that battery storage is becoming a bigger part of how the state plans to handle power demand and pricing in the years ahead.