Governor Corzine Welcomes U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Chu to New Jersey's 'Clean Energy Now' Conference

Governor Corzine Welcomes U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Chu to New
Jersey's 'Clean Energy Now' Conference
Opening remarks laud New Jersey's Clean Energy achievements and economic
development potential

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J., Oct. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. Department of Energy
Secretary Steven Chu, co-winner of the 1997 Nobel Prize for Physics, today
joined New Jersey Governor Jon S. Corzine to open Clean Energy Now, the 2009
Clean Energy Conference and Leadership Awards. Governor Corzine welcomed the
attendees and introduced Dr. Chu, who offered the keynote address at the
Opening Plenary session.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091021/PH96682 )

Joining Dr. Chu and Governor Corzine in offering welcoming remarks were Jeanne
M. Fox, President of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities; William G.
Dressel, Jr., Executive Director of the New Jersey State League of
Municipalities; and Joan Verplanck, President of the New Jersey Chamber of
Commerce.

In his keynote address, Dr. Chu spoke about the enormous potential of major
investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency and praised New Jersey's
work on both fronts. "America needs to get in the clean energy race and play
to win. By moving to cleaner sources of energy, we can create jobs, reduce
our dependence on foreign oil, and cut carbon pollution. With strong
executive leadership from Gov. Jon S. Corzine, New Jersey's innovators and
entrepreneurs are leading the way, and I look forward to building on the work
of this important conference," said Dr. Chu.

In welcoming conference attendees, Governor Corzine thanked them for their
partnership with the state in pursuit of its clean energy goals and the
creation of green jobs all across the state.

"Together, we have made great progress," Governor Corzine told attendees. "We
have increased the number of solar installations ten-fold in the past four
years. We are creating more than 2,500 direct jobs and 15,000 indirect jobs
through utility investments in infrastructure and energy efficiency. We have
increased the energy efficiency of almost 6,000 businesses in the last four
years. In 2008 alone, we have saved enough electricity to power 80,000 homes
and enough natural gas to power another 5,000. And working together, we have
even greater achievements ahead of us."

Governor Corzine also noted the new partnership the state has developed with
the federal government under the Obama administration. "Under President
Obama's leadership, New Jersey now has friends in Washington - friends like
Secretary Chu, whose Department of Energy is investing $267 million to build
our clean energy economy and create jobs in New Jersey, and friends like
Interior Secretary Salazar, who is helping us build our capacity to generate
energy with the power of offshore wind."

The annual Conference, sponsored by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities
and New Jersey's Clean Energy Program, brings together policy leaders,
business owners, facility managers, and contractors in the renewable energy
and energy efficiency trade. Attendees participate in sessions focused on
technological innovations, financing opportunities, new and emerging
government policy, the changing economics of renewable energy and energy
efficiency, utility and government program support and emerging trends in the
industry.

The conference, first held five years ago, has had steady increases in
interest and attendance during its history. This year, the conference is
being held at the largest venue in its history and was extended to two days to
accommodate the growing attendance and interest in its agenda.

The conference runs through Thursday afternoon, at which time attendees will
be offered tours of the Jersey-Atlantic wind farm located at the Atlantic
County Utilities Authority Wastewater Treatment Facility and one of the
world's largest closed loop geothermal heating systems in the world as well as
solar technology and a new aquifer thermal energy storage system at The
Richard Stockton College of New Jersey.

About the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU):
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities is a state agency and regulatory
authority mandated to ensure safe, adequate, and proper utility services at
reasonable rates for New Jersey customers. Critical services regulated by the
NJBPU include natural gas, electricity, water, wastewater, telecommunications
and cable television. The Board has general oversight responsibility for
monitoring utility service, responding to consumer complaints, and
investigating utility accidents. To find out more about the NJBPU, visit our
web site at www.nj.gov/bpu.

About the New Jersey Clean Energy Program (NJCEP):
New Jersey's Clean Energy Program, established on January 22, 2003 in
accordance with the Electric Discount and Energy Competition Act (EDECA),
provides financial and other incentives to the State's residential customers,
businesses and schools that install high-efficiency or renewable energy
technologies, thereby reducing energy usage, lowering customers' energy bills
and reducing environmental impacts. The program is authorized and overseen by
the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU), and its website is
www.njcleanenergy.com.

SOURCE New Jersey Board of Public Utilities

Doyal Siddell of New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, +1-973-468-8515