Keasbey Energy Center (Woodbridge)
Competitive Power Ventures, the owner of a 725-megawatt Woodbridge Energy Center (WEC) power plant in Woodbridge Township, is seeking approval to build another natural-gas plant adjacent to its existing unit in the Keasbey section of the community.
Empower NJ has not been able to find any evidence that any New Jersey utility or PJM Interconnect has indicated there is demand for this project. An August 9, 2018 article on this project in NJ Spotlight stated, “Before the state deregulated the energy sector, it required power suppliers to prove there was a need for a new generating plant through something called a certificate-of-need process. That hurdle was removed when the state broke up its electric and gas monopolies, leaving the decision to owners and investors in power plants, regardless of state policies.”
No information on the proposed capacity has been found. Assuming it is another 725MW plant It is estimated that this plant will emit about 2.1 MMt of CO2 per year and will leak/emit about 625 tons of methane. This will result in 2.17 MMt of CO2e GHG emissions annually. (These estimates are based on a comparison with the proposed Meadowlands power plant as no information on the specific gas power technology to be used by CPV has been found.)
The Murphy Administration can stop this plant by using its authority to regulate and limit GHGs and end the practice of allowing applicants to purchase ozone credits.