Welcome to NJSEM

The New Jersey Sustainable Energy Joint Meeting (“The NJSEM”) is a joint meeting of local public entities working to aggregate their individual energy requirements together for improved purchasing power. The NJSEM was formed as a Joint Meeting which “means the joint operation of any public services, public improvements, works, facilities, or other undertaking by contracting local units pursuant to a joint contract under section 14 of P.L.2007, c.63 (C.40A:65-14).” Since its establishment, the NJSEM’s energy procurement process has utilized New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (NJDCA) approved e-procurement technologies to achieve substantial savings in energy costs for its members.

NJSEM Who We Are

As a joint meeting, the NJSEM is a “public body corporate and politic,” a government entity and governed accordingly. The NJSEM is an energy buying group of local public entities, which include Municipalities, Counties, Utility Authorities, Housing Authorities, Parking Authorities, Boards of Education, Fire Districts and Libraries. It is governed by an elected Statewide Executive Board, a committee of 7 members and 7 alternates, all local Municipal Administrators/Managers and Local Officials. Energy procurements of electricity supply and natural gas supply are conducted in full compliance with state laws, NJDCA/DLGS regulations and purchasing guidelines.

One of the largest operating costs (and certainly one of the most unpredictable) facing New Jersey public entities today is that of natural gas, electricity and other forms of energy which have been on a steady course of increase over the past few years.

Energy procurement is also becoming increasingly complicated. In addition to rising energy costs, municipal energy users are concurrently facing:

• Social and regulatory pressure to reduce dependence on foreign oil;
• Pressure to increase the use of energy generated by renewable sources, and;
• Mandates to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

NJSEM was established to serve its members as a knowledge-based energy purchasing group designed to help New Jersey public entities initially reduce their energy costs and ultimately meet their social and regulatory obligations.