SECAUCUS, NJ-At an appearance at the train station here Monday Gov. Chris Christie and U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said plans are being laid to create a "NJ Transit Grid," which could keep rail lines operating in the event of disaster or emergency.
The federal government will provide $1 million to help design a self-generating electric grid for NJ Transit.
In cases where the broader grid is compromised by catastrophic events such as Hurricane Sandy, the "microgrid" would be able to provide power for critical stations and the network around Newark, Secaucus and Hoboken.
NJ Transit and the state Board of Public Utilities are parties in the effort to create a design for the microgrid.
The U.S. Energy department will bring in its affiliated research company Sandia National Laboratories to work on the project. Sandia has designed microgrids for military bases around the country. A localized grid would includes self-reliant power facilities and renewable energy sources to distribute electricity along NJ Transit's overhead wire network.
Gov. Christie said in a statement that the microgrid could help keep the agency's commuter trains running during a natural disaster and also provide train service for emergency evacuation situations in the area.
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