Why Energy Storage Is the Defining Policy Fight in New Jersey Right Now
If you are working in battery storage in New Jersey, you already know the opportunity is massive, and so is the complexity. The state has one of the most ambitious storage mandates in the country: 2,000 megawatts of installed capacity by 2030, a target set by the Clean Energy Act of 2018. Getting there requires more than good technology or strong financing. It requires someone who knows how Trenton actually works.
That is where GTB Partners comes in.
Our team has spent decades inside and alongside New Jersey state government. We work at the Legislature, the Governor’s Office, and the regulatory agencies that shape energy policy day by day. When the rules of the game change, our clients do not get caught off guard. They are already at the table.
The New Jersey Energy Storage Landscape is Moving Fast and Getting More Competitive
The policy environment around energy storage in New Jersey has shifted dramatically in a short period of time. The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities launched the Garden State Energy Storage Program (GSESP) in June 2025, replacing the earlier NJ SIP framework and establishing a competitive incentive structure for transmission-scale projects. By March 2026, the NJBPU had already awarded incentives to 355 MW of battery storage projects under Phase 1, Tranche 1, and simultaneously opened Tranche 2 for another 645 MW of capacity.
Governor Sherrill has made clean energy and storage a centerpiece of her early administration. Executive Order 2, signed on her first day in office, directed the NJBPU to accelerate storage solicitations. Legislation signed in March 2026 expanded eligibility and extended application deadlines, with the NJBPU projecting that change alone could bring an additional 500 megawatts forward. The state is also investing nearly $2 billion in battery energy storage systems overall.
This is a fast-moving, high-stakes environment. In a competitive solicitation process, the difference between a project that gets funded and one that does not often comes down to relationships, positioning, and knowing what regulators and legislators are actually paying attention to.
What Energy Storage Advocacy in NJ Actually Looks Like
A lot of firms will tell you they do “energy advocacy.” What that means in practice, especially at the state level in New Jersey, varies enormously.
At GTB Partners, our energy storage work spans the full policy and regulatory cycle. We help clients:
1. Navigate the GSESP and NJBPU Proceedings
The Garden State Energy Storage Program is a multi-phase, multi-tranche competitive solicitation with a detailed eligibility and compliance structure. We help clients understand where they fit, how to position themselves, and how to engage constructively in the rulemaking and comment process.
2. Engage the Legislature on Storage-Related Bills
Incentive programs, permitting reform, grid interconnection policy, and behind-the-meter storage rules all pass through the Legislature. Our partners, including Rich Gannon and Mike Torpey, both former senior government officials, maintain active relationships across the Democratic and Republican caucuses and with key committee chairs.
3. Secure State Budget Appropriations and Incentives
Over the past 25 years, GTB has secured tens of millions of dollars in state budget appropriations for our clients. For storage developers and project sponsors, those relationships can mean the difference between a project that pencils out and one that does not.
4. Manage Local and Municipal Approvals
Transmission-scale storage projects often face local opposition, zoning challenges, or permitting delays. Our expertise across New Jersey’s government landscape. This includes state, municipal, and county government, showing we can help navigate those layers simultaneously.
5. Provide Strategic Counsel Through Regulatory Uncertainty
Energy storage policy in New Jersey is still maturing. New rules, new solicitation structures, and new political priorities can change the calculus quickly. Our team monitors all of it and translates it into actionable guidance for our clients.
Who We Work With
GTB’s energy practice serves a broad range of clients: developers building utility-scale battery storage projects, technology companies selling storage hardware and software into the New Jersey market, trade associations representing the storage industry in Trenton. We also work with investors and financiers evaluating New Jersey storage opportunities, and utilities and co-ops navigating their own storage obligations.
Whether you are trying to win an incentive award, shape a regulatory outcome, or simply understand what the next 18 months of New Jersey energy policy looks like, our team has the experience and the access to help.
A Track Record in Energy
GTB Partners has built one of the most respected energy practices of any lobbying firm in New Jersey. We have led successful advocacy campaigns for solar, wind, and storage projects, helping clients secure permits, incentives, and budget line items that took years of sustained effort to achieve. The energy sector is one of our longest-standing areas of focus, and the depth of our relationships at the NJBPU, BPU Staff, and in the Legislature reflects that commitment.
Our approach is straightforward: we listen to what our clients actually need, develop a realistic strategy, and execute it with the kind of focused persistence that produces results. If you want to understand more about how we work, our team’s backgrounds speak for themselves.
Ready to Talk About Your New Jersey Storage Project?
Energy storage policy in New Jersey is moving quickly, and the competitive solicitation windows do not wait. If you are working on a project or trying to shape the policy environment, the time to build relationships in Trenton is before you need them.
Contact GTB Partners to schedule a conversation with our energy team. We are located steps from the State House at 162 West State Street in Trenton, and we are ready to get to work.