In mid-January, we experienced a period of extreme cold, high winds, and a couple of inches of snow, reminding us we are very much in the peak of winter. These blasts of Arctic air and wind are common during New Jersey winters, but is something else happening in the atmosphere? (photo by Rutgers University)

How Climate Change May Be Affecting the Polar Vortex

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Mid-January in New Jersey consisted of extreme cold, high winds, and snow, some of which is typical of winter. This is attributed to the polar vortex, a mass of cold air in the upper atmosphere, strongest in winter, causing blasts of cold air as it descends towards the equator. However, RCEI Affiliate Steven Decker, explains that the cold weather New …

Photo by Anthony Grippa

Rutgers Alumna on the Front Row of Combating Climate Change

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Oriana Holmes-Price, a 2021 Rutgers–Camden political science graduate working on a master’s degree in public affairs/community development, plays a key role at Attentive Energy, a leading company in the development of offshore wind energy in New Jersey. When Oriana Holmes-Price was an undergraduate studying political science at Rutgers University–Camden, she took advantage of opportunities to work for the campus chapter …

power lines

Compare Electric Rates in New Jersey

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New Jersey deregulated its energy market in 1999, allowing people to choose which companies generate the electricity that powers their homes. The idea behind the law was to introduce competition into the previously monopolized energy market. New Jersey residents haven’t exactly taken advantage of the opportunity: Only about 6% of residential customers switched in 2023. “Not everyone is making the …

Offshore wind turbines farm on the ocean. Photo: Sustainable Energy by NiseriN.

Leading Light Wind, an American-Led Offshore Wind Project, Awarded Contract by State of New Jersey

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The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities today announced it has awarded a 2,400-megawatt contract to Leading Light Wind in its highly competitive third offshore wind solicitation. A partnership between two American companies – lead developer Invenergy and co-developer energyRe, the project is now the largest competitively awarded offshore wind project in the U.S. Leading Light Wind will build upon its proven track record and …

Gov. Stevenson A. Joseph, Pohnpei State, Micronesia (center) pictured with Rutgers delegates Dena Seidel (2nd from left), Ramu Govindasamy (3rd from left) and James Simon (3rd from right) during a January 2024 visit to Micronesia.

Rutgers University Scientists in Micronesia to Advance Food Security Initiatives

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Rutgers University scientists James Simon, RCEI Affiliate and Distinguished Professor, Department of Plant Biology, and Ramu Govindasamy, professor and chair, Department of Agricultural and Food Resource Economics, and Dena Seidel, RCEI Affiliate and science communication researcher, paid a courtesy call on Governor Stevenson A. Joseph, Pohnpei State, Micronesia. The Rutgers delegation was joined on the visit by Micronesian officials Hubert …

offshore wind turbines

NJ Offshore Wind Industry Threatened by Economic Uncertainty, 2024 Presidential Election

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Renewable energy companies in New Jersey face higher costs and legal challenges, making 2024 challenging for the offshore wind industry. Concerns about a potential change in the White House further threaten progress. Some developers have paused projects, while Rutgers University plans to deploy autonomous underwater robots to study the ocean’s impact on wind farms. Regarding Rutgers’ project, RCEI Affiliate, Josh …

fruits and vegetables

RCEI Affiliate Awarded Grant to Expand the Impact of Newark Community Food Systems

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RCEI Affiliate Jeana Wirtenberg has received a research grant from Rutgers Equity Alliance for Community Health. Teaming up with Newark Science and Sustainability Inc., their project, Expanding the Impact of Newark Community Food Systems, targets health equity by addressing food access and security in economically challenged Newark, NJ communities.

Screenshot from the Offshore Winds Video.

Rutgers University Researchers to Develop Floating Offshore Wind Turbines

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NJ Spotlight News covered a new Rutgers Project discussed by RCEI Affiliate Josh Kohut. The project consists of new offshore wind technology. At an offshore wind symposium Friday, Rutgers revealed goals to develop floating offshore wind turbines, as well as the Net-Zero Wind Energy Test Center, a warehouse-sized lab facility at the Jersey Shore.

RUCool Slocum glider in the water

RUCOOL Awarded Gift to Enhance Global Exploration in the Caribbean Sea

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Rutgers University Center for Ocean Observing Leadership (RUCOOL) received a $250,000 gift from the G. Unger Vetlesen Foundation to support climate, weather, and ecosystem research in the Caribbean Sea. “The G. Unger Vetlesen Foundation has been an invaluable supporter of Rutgers and the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences (DMCS) in the development of glider technology to conduct long range …

A rendering of the interior of the proposed WET Center, where scholars from a variety of academic fields will explore the science and technology underpinning next-generation wind energy production. The S/L/A/M Collaborative

With Global Ambitions, Rutgers Engineers and Scientists Launch Wind Energy Research Center

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Multidisciplinary collaboration involving three schools and multiple departments will combine efforts of environmental and marine scientists as well as engineers. A Rutgers research project focused on offshore wind energy is poised to make New Jersey a global leader in the field in a little more than a decade. The effort being launched by Rutgers researchers includes two key components: The …