New Jersey Resources : NATURAL GAS BRINGS POWERSAVE SCHOOLS PROGRAM TO AREA SCHOOLS

Wall, N.J. - New Jersey Natural Gas (NJNG) announced it will again bring the PowerSave Schools (PowerSave) program to 22 area schools for the 2016-17 academic year. Created by the Alliance to Save Energy (Alliance), the program incorporates energy-efficiency as part of the curricula and educates students by way of hands-on projects designed to help schools save energy and money through changes in behavior, operations and maintenance procedures. Through PowerSave, participating schools reduce consumption an average of 5 to 15 percent annually.

To maximize the program's effectiveness, NJNG is offering this opportunity to schools within its service territory already registered with Sustainable Jersey for Schools. NJNG is a founding partner of Sustainable Jersey for Schools - a free and voluntary initiative that helps schools go green, conserve resources and contribute to a better future, while earning points toward certification as a Sustainable Jersey school.

'This unique collaboration among NJNG, Sustainable Jersey for Schools and the Alliance to Save Energy brings together a passionate team of enthusiastic and conscientious students working with teachers and school staff to identify opportunities to change the way they use energy,' said Anne-Marie Peracchio, director of conservation and energy policy at New Jersey Natural Gas. The company will fund all direct program costs while Sustainable Jersey for Schools will facilitate the application process and provide guidance in the certification process.

To ensure a successful program outcome, the Alliance will assign participating schools a local project leader to provide support and help establish and guide students and teachers, and implement energy-efficiency projects. In addition, they each will benefit from training workshops and a Road Map Guide, among other resources. 'We are excited to continue our relationship with New Jersey Natural Gas and share in their commitment to create a more sustainable environment,' noted Scott Thach, vice president of education for the Alliance to Save Energy.

NJNG first brought the PowerSave program to area schools at the beginning of the current academic year. Today's announcement follows the program's success in the schools currently enrolled; as a result, NJNG will renew its commitment to fund participating schools as well as sponsor an additional nine schools. 'My students have taken ownership of the PowerSave Schools program. The training and materials provided got their interest and they feel empowered to be part of our energy savings, and mentor local elementary school students to do the same,' said Gary Paxton, seventh grade math and science teacher and PowerSave team leader at Lake Riviera School in Brick Township.

For the 2016-17 academic year, the Alliance will work directly with approximately 660 students in the participating schools for one year, integrating science, technology, engineering and math principles to promote energy literacy through lesson plans, activities and competitions. Students will use the school building as a learning lab to solve real-world problems, while gaining the skills needed to conduct an energy audit, analyze data, present results, share recommendations and train and educate their peers, school staff and community members about important energy-efficiency and environmental issues.

The program closely aligns with the mission of Sustainable Jersey for Schools to energize the sustainability efforts of New Jersey public schools through training, grants and incentives that help improve efficiency, cut waste and free up money for the classroom. 'PowerSave is a natural extension of the schools' commitment to sustainability and balances their efforts in meeting their energy-efficiency and conservation goals,' added Donna Drewes, co-director of Sustainable Jersey. PowerSave components parallel action items under Sustainable Jersey for Schools and provide the opportunity for schools to earn more than 50 points toward certification.

Schools registered with Sustainable Jersey for Schools are encouraged to submit an application by the June 30, 2016 deadline, with anticipated rollout of the program across selected participating schools in September 2016. The program will continue throughout the school year. Interested schools can contact Vera Figueiredo, local project leader for PowerSave Schools, at vfigueiredo@ase.org or 908-247-3840 for details. To complete the application online, go to the Grants & Resources tab at sustainablejerseyschools.com and select Resource Opportunities on the right navigation bar.

About New Jersey Resources
New Jersey Resources (NYSE: NJR) is a Fortune 1000 company, which through its subsidiaries, provides safe and reliable natural gas and clean energy services, including transportation, distribution, asset management and home services. With annual revenues in excess of $2.7 billion, NJR is composed of five primary businesses:

• New Jersey Natural Gas, NJR's principal subsidiary, operates and maintains over 7,000 miles of natural gas transportation and distribution infrastructure to serve over half a million customers in New Jersey's Monmouth, Ocean and parts of Morris, Middlesex, Sussex and Burlington counties.
• NJR Energy Services manages a diversified portfolio of natural gas transportation and storage assets and provides physical natural gas services to its customers across North America.
• NJR Clean Energy Ventures invests in, owns and operates solar and onshore wind projects with a total capacity of more than 200 megawatts, providing residential and commercial customers with low-carbon solutions.
• NJR Midstream serves customers from local distributors and producers to electric generators and wholesale marketers through its 50 percent equity ownership in the Steckman Ridge natural gas storage facility and its stake in Dominion Midstream Partners, L.P., as well as its 20 percent equity interest in the PennEast Pipeline Project.
• NJR Home Services provides heating, central air conditioning, standby generators, solar and other indoor and outdoor comfort products to residential homes and businesses throughout New Jersey.

NJR and its more than 1,000 employees are committed to helping customers save energy and money by promoting conservation and encouraging efficiency through Conserve to Preserve® and initiatives such as The SAVEGREEN Project® and The Sunlight Advantage®.

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About Alliance to Save Energy
The Alliance to Save Energy, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, founded 38 years ago, has pursued the singular goal of promoting energy efficiency through programs and policies to achieve a healthier economy, cleaner environment and greater energy security. The Alliance is a leader in the field of energy efficiency and, for 27 years now, has worked with partners to deliver free-of-cost energy-efficiency education programs to schools and college campuses across the nation, through the PowerSave Schools and PowerSave Campus programs.

Since 1996, the PowerSave Schools program has empowered over 230,000 K-12 students and their teachers in over 2000 schools across the country to save energy in their schools. PowerSave students learn about energy and energy efficiency through standards-linked educational material, by engaging in hands-on projects, and using diagnostic tools to assess energy consumption and identify ways to conserve. By using their school buildings as learning laboratories, students tackle real world problems and generate behavior change, making energy efficiency visible and doable.

About Sustainable Jersey for Schools
Sustainable Jersey for Schools is a certification program for public schools in New Jersey. It was launched by Sustainable Jersey, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that provides tools, training and financial incentives to support and reward municipalities and schools as they pursue sustainability programs.

Sustainable Jersey for Schools is underwritten by the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA), the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities Clean Energy Program, The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA). The 2016 Sustainable Jersey for Schools small grants program is funded by the PSEG Foundation, NJEA and the Gardinier Environmental Fund. The Founding Sponsors are South Jersey Gas, New Jersey Natural Gas and NJM Insurance Group. Bayer Foundation is a Silver Sponsor and JCP&L and Spiezle Architectural Group are Bronze Sponsors. Program partners include: NJSBA, NJEA, New Jersey Association of School Administrators (NJASA), New Jersey Association of School Business Officials (NJASBO), New Jersey Parent Teacher Association (NJPTA), New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association (NJPSA), New Jersey School Buildings and Grounds Association (NJSBGA), the New Jersey Department of Health, and The Sustainability Institute at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ.)

Website: www.SustainableJerseySchools.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/SJ_Schools
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SustainableJersey