Pleasantville, was one of only two companies to receive a 2006 Environmental Quality Award from NJBIA. It was one of only nine companies overall receiving the Association’s Award for Excellence in four categories.
“Our Awards for Excellence winners have had a notably positive impact on the lives of their employees, their communities, the environment, and New Jersey,” said NJBIA President Philip Kirschner, who presented the awards October 17 at a dinner at the Hilton East Brunswick.
“From its Earth Day events to its wind-power farm, Atlantic County Utilities Authority has set high standards for innovation in its environmental protection efforts.”
The ACUA’s environmental protection programs can best be described as innovative and forward-thinking. The authority provides for responsible waste management while protecting the environment. It has sponsored an educational Earth Day event for the past 16 years. It recently initiated an aggressive water conservation campaign, “Water—Use It Wisely,” to help reduce local water use by as much as 10 percent. It also has one of the most successful recycling programs in New Jersey, with 60 percent of the waste stream being recycled. The ACUA landfill is a double-lined facility, designed to maximize gas generation that is converted to electricity on site.
Among ACUA’s accomplishments is the successful completion of the first commercial wind-power project in New Jersey and the nation’s first coastal and urban wind farm. This was achieved along with its partner, Community Energy, Inc. Partnering with World Water & Power and Conti Construction, it also completed a 500-kilowatt photovoltaic solar project at its wastewater treatment facility. This will produce more than 660,000 kilowatt hours of energy annually and will power the wastewater treatment facility.
“Alternative energy has received much media coverage lately and we’re happy to be at the forefront of what we hope is a new energy era that is both environmentally and economically responsible. This is truly an honor for us and a testament to the dedication and hard work of ACUA employees,” said Richard Dovey, ACUA President.
Atlantic County Utility Authority is also expanding its methane-to-energy generator, which uses methane in an efficient and environmentally friendly way. Finally, it owns the largest fleet of bio-diesel-powered vehicles in New Jersey.
This is one of three awards that the ACUA recently received for its alternative energy projects, water conservation efforts and community outreach. Just last month, the ACUA received the Association of Energy Engineers, “Renewable Project of the Year Award” for Region I and the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, “NJ Clean Energy Your Power to Save Project of the Year Award.”
Since 1984, NJBIA annually has honored a select group of its members with an Award for Excellence. The winners demonstrate outstanding achievements in one of four award categories: Environmental Quality, Outstanding Employer, Enterprise and Public Service. All 23,000 NJBIA member companies in good standing are eligible to be nominated.
An independent panel of judges volunteered their time to conduct the judging and select the winners. Mercadien P.C. Certified Public Accountants of Princeton verified the information supplied by the winning applicants.
With more than 23,000 members, NJBIA is the nation’s largest state-level employer association.
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