Loss of Jobs, Energy Source Concerns Speakers at State Hearing on Oyster Creek

The loss of jobs when Oyster Creek Generating Station closes in 2019 was a topic of discussion Wednesday at the state Board of Public Utilities (BPU)  on the Energy Master Plan.

The Master Plan announced that the state must develop a planning process to replace Oyster Creek’s generation in order to achieve its 2050 greenhouse gas reduction goal, as a significant portion of energy supply must come from nuclear technology.

Michael Egenton, senior vice president of the state’s Chamber of Commerce, applauded the BPU’s emphasis on diverse generation, including nuclear, which provides the cleanest form of carbon emissions, he said.

The BPU is encouraging the state to replace Oyster Creek’s generation, board spokesperson Greg Reinert said.

“There are a number of good reasons to locate a new plant on the Lacey Township property, including the presence of a highly skilled workforce, community support for such an initiative, and the existing electrical transmission infrastructure,” the plan states.

Reinert emphasized that the plan encourages the state to replace the station’s generation, not the plant itself.

“The EMP only talks about energy and where it comes from, and does not propose a new plant,” Reinert said, although he noted that the BPU encourages Oyster's replacement.

Sen. Wayne DeAngelo questioned why the master plan does not specifically deal with the loss of jobs and their possible replacements . A plan to replace the power generation and jobs produced by Oyster Creek needs to be developed now to avoid the impact in 2019, he said.

Despite the lack of firm plans, the inclusion of Lacey Township in the master plan still brings hope to the township's governing body.

“It keeps us in the race for another plant," Mayor Gary Quinn said. "Now that we’re in the master plan itself, we have the ability to keep working towards it, whether it is a gas or another nuclear plant. As far as the township is concerned, at this point we’re still in the running and it’s going to take a lot of work on behalf of the governing body and Legislature."

Not only will nearly 700 jobs be eliminated once Oyster Creek closes, but Lacey specifically will be greatly impacted financially, Quinn said. The township receives more than $11 million in energy tax receipts from the state, which is a major source of revenue for the township.

“We don’t believe the money will keep coming. The loss of that would have a tremendous impact on us,” he said.

He added that many of the workers uprooted themselves and came to live in the area because of their jobs at Oyster Creek. Hundreds of employees will be out of work.

“If we lose all those jobs it’s going to have a major impact on us and those working there. It brings a lot of money into the local economy here,” Quinn said.

Quinn said Lacey has the benefit of having infrastructure for energy generation already in place. Other municipalities might have a hard time getting approval from the state.

“We’re in the running and will hopefully have success,” he said.

Oyster Creek provides enough around-the-clock electricity for 600,000 New Jersey homes and began commercial operations in 1969. The plant is one of the largest employers in Ocean County and annually provides more than $70 million in wages, property taxes and purchases of goods and services from New Jersey businesses.

For a copy of the energy master plan, see the .pdf attached to this article.

To submit written comments on the Energy Master Plan, send by Aug. 25 via e-mail to empadmin@njcleanenergy.com.

The next public hearing on the energy master plan will from 1 to 5 p.m. Aug. 11 at Richard Stockton College in Pomona.