New Jersey

New Jersey’s energy future must be resilient. Here’s a tool that can help | Opinion

Published

1 year ago

April 26, 2025

Press Room

New Jersey’s energy future must be resilient. Here’s a tool that can help | Opinion

3-minute read

Michael Stivala
| Special to the USA TODAY Network

Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, necessitating a multifaceted approach to energy solutions.
While renewable energy sources are important, a balanced approach that incorporates existing infrastructure like propane is crucial for reliability and affordability.
Propane offers a resilient energy source independent of the electric grid, vital during emergencies and grid failures.
Overreliance on a single energy system could strain affordability and reliability as energy demands increase.
A practical, collaborative approach involving businesses, government, and researchers is needed to build a resilient and accessible energy future.

There is no doubt that our climate is changing. The frequency and severity of extreme weather events impacting local communities across the country have increased dramatically. According to the American Red Cross, the number of billion-dollar disaster response events in the last decade has grown five-fold compared to the 1980s. While one factor impacting climate change is our reliance on high carbon intensity energy, the path forward cannot be reduced to a simple choice between fossil fuels and full electrification.

Over recent decades, society has made major strides in energy efficiency — from appliances to building construction — and we’ve seen innovation across energy production and delivery that has lowered the cost and carbon footprint of traditional fuels. Meanwhile, renewable energy technologies have advanced rapidly, offering even cleaner energy options. Yet, despite this progress, the national debate around climate change solutions and energy policy has become increasingly polarized. The narrative has become a binary one: stick with fossil fuels or embrace full electrification.

This false choice is both misleading and counterproductive. What society truly needs is affordable, reliable, low carbon-intensity energy that is available on-demand — and this need is growing more urgent by the day.

As a leader in an energy business that has delivered on-demand fuel to local communities for nearly a century, I’ve seen firsthand how energy demand shifts — especially for heating — and how critical it is to have access to energy when and where it’s needed. I’ve also witnessed the hardship that follows when that access is lost. In just the past year, devastating wildfires, hurricanes and historic floods have left families without homes, power or safety. These events have a very human cost: lives lost, livelihoods disrupted and communities forever changed.

In times of crisis, our electric grid — though essential — has shown its vulnerabilities. When the grid fails, people suffer. And increasingly, it does fail under pressure. That’s why energy resilience must be treated as a core pillar of our energy future, alongside sustainability and affordability. We cannot ignore the need for redundancy, flexibility and accessibility in our energy systems.

Propane can help fill gaps in demand for energy

Propane is one often-overlooked solution that can play a vital role in filling that gap. It’s a reliable, clean-burning energy source used by millions of Americans every day. Because of its portable infrastructure and availability, propane is one of the most accessible on-demand energy sources. When the grid goes down — whether from wildfire, hurricane, or ice storm — propane-powered generators keep critical services operational. During recent flooding in the southeast, propane helped restore power, feed displaced families and heat emergency shelters.

Importantly, propane operates independently of the electric grid. As a distributed energy source, it provides communities with a resilient backup that can be deployed quickly and cost-effectively. This kind of infrastructure matters — not just for disaster response, but for long-term energy planning.

We have to manage the shift to renewables through economic reality

We also have to recognize that the transition to lower carbon alternatives must be grounded in economic reality. Millions of Americans live with energy insecurity, where fluctuating costs force impossible choices — like heating their homes or feeding their families. As demand for electricity is projected to rise by 55% in the next two decades — driven in part by the growth of AI and data centers — overreliance on a single energy system could raise costs and strain reliability.

Abandoning existing infrastructure before new systems are fully viable will only add to the financial burden on vulnerable communities. A resilient energy future cannot afford to be ideological—it must be practical.

It’s time to move beyond the binary. The future of energy is not either-or — it’s both-and. Yes, we must reduce emissions. Yes, we must invest in renewables. But we must also prioritize resilience, affordability and access. Propane is one tool — among many — that can help us meet those goals today, not just years down the road.

The climate will continue to change. Our response must be bold, but also thoughtful. Real progress will come not through rigid mandates, but through collaboration — between businesses, government and researchers — to innovate, bring down costs, expand access and protect people.

Let’s move beyond the binary and build an energy future that truly works—for everyone.

Michael Stivala is president and CEO of Suburban Propane.

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New Jersey

Nightmare at NY Penn as train fire halts NJ Transit, Amtrak service for hours

Published

5 hours ago

May 29, 2026

Press Room

Nightmare at NY Penn as train fire halts NJ Transit, Amtrak service for hours

New Jersey and New York City commuters are facing extensive delays in and out of New York Penn Station Friday, with intensifying ripple effects, after an Amtrak work train car on one of the hub’s tracks caught fire.

The FDNY says it was called to the Midtown scene on 31st Street, between Seventh and Eighth avenues, around 1:30 a.m. Nearly 100 personnel responded. Five civilians were evaluated at the scene by EMS, officials say.

It’s not clear what sparked the fire involving Amtrak’s contractor maintenance vehicles in one of the Hudson River Tunnels. It was knocked down well before 6 a.m., but service on New Jersey Transit, Amtrak, Long Island Rail Road and more was expected to see heavy impacts well into the morning rush, with Hudson River trains operating at reduced capacity. Amtrak said it didn’t expect to lift its suspension until at least noon.

Travel Advisory: Due to unforeseen track and signal maintenance resulting from a now extinguished fire in the New York area, all services traveling south of New York (NYP) are temporarily suspended. This suspension is anticipated to be in place until noon at a minimum. Services…
— Amtrak Northeast (@AmtrakNECAlerts) May 29, 2026
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New Jersey Transit and LIRR also announced delays and cancellations. Cross-honoring and diversion programs were in effect as the situation developed. Complete LIRR service at NY Penn had resumed by around 7 a.m., Friday said, though equipment issues were causing cancellations. Get the latest transit information here.

Video from outside Penn Station showed smoke billowing in the pre-dawn hours, as emergency personnel stood by with stretchers awaiting any potential victims.

Amtrak is investigating the cause of the fire.

“We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this may cause,” the agency’s latest announcement said, pledging to provide updates as new information becomes available.

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New Jersey

Violence reported at Delaney Hall in N.J. Calls to shut it down are growing

Published

17 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Press Room

Violence reported at Delaney Hall in N.J. Calls to shut it down are growing

How are detainees at Delaney Hall being treated?

A statement issued by DHS said detainees receive comprehensive medical care and all are treated well.

“They are provided with 3 meals a day, clean water, clothing, bedding, showers, soap, and toiletries. Illegal aliens also have access to phones to communicate with their family members and lawyers. Certified dieticians evaluate meals,” the department wrote.

The release accused Sherrill, Booker and U.S. Sen Andy Kim, as well as U.S. Reps. Rob Menendez, Nellie Pou, LaMonica McIver, Frank Pallone and Analilia Majia, of continuing “to peddle falsehoods about ICE facilities,” and “spreading smears about ICE law enforcement and the Delaney Hall ICE facility in New Jersey.”

Sinha said the assertion that individuals being arrested and taken to Delaney Hall are dangerous criminals is false.

“This is an administration that has repeatedly lied to us about what’s going on in immigration enforcement and immigration detention facilities,” Sinha said.

He added while Sherrill does not have the legal authority to enter Delaney Hall unannounced, that fact that she was denied entry is concerning.

“The federal government has denied her repeatedly, and it makes you question, ‘What is the federal government trying to hide?’” he asked. “They have no allegiance to any rule of law or semblance of democracy; they’re trying to rewrite the Constitution for people who are noncitizens.”

On Thursday, Sherrill issued a statement saying the New Jersey Department of Health attempted to conduct a inspection of Delaney Hall, but officials were only allowed to inspect only a limited part of the facility.

“We will review and share the department’s findings from the limited portion it was allowed to inspect, and we will continue to pursue all appropriate avenues for demanding transparency and ensuring humane conditions for the individuals being held at the facility,” she said in the statement. “As I’ve said repeatedly, refusing to provide full access raises serious questions about what ICE is trying to hide from public view.”

Sinha said a hunger strike among those inside the facility is continuing because they are being given spoiled food and inadequate medical care in deplorable conditions.

“People shouldn’t have to starve themselves to make their dignity known; people shouldn’t have to starve themselves to have their rights protected, but that’s what’s happening here,” he said.

Reports of escalating violence

Late Thursday afternoon there were reports of violence escalating within Delaney Hall.

Nedia Morsy, the director of Make the Road New Jersey, an immigration advocacy group, issued a statement saying multiple sources within the facility reported ICE agents attacking detainees and causing serious injuries.

“Right now there are ICE agents inside of Delaney Hall violently beating the hunger strikers,” Morsy said in the statement. “Someone will be killed if no one intervenes and shuts this down. These masked agents are acting as if they’re above the law. This is a modern-day concentration camp, and history will not forgive silence in this moment. We need to shut down Delaney Hall and free everyone inside.”

Resistencia en Accion, another immigrant rights group, also released a statement, calling for violence against detainees to end.

“We express our utmost disgust with the violence perpetrated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents today, May 28. Reports at approximately 1:40 p.m. reveal that ICE agents attacked the hunger strikers inside with batons and tear gas. Family members outside received calls from inside, confirming that there were people screaming, and according to their loved ones inside, unconscious detainees and blood on surfaces. ICE is the sole responsible actor for the escalation that has led to several wounded people inside and outside this week,” the statement reads.

WHYY News reached out to DHS late Thursday seeking comment about the reports of violence at Delaney Hall. A written statement was emailed to WHYY that said ICE agents had responded to a physical altercation involving detainees.

“In accordance with established ICE policies and their training, staff used the minimum amount of force to safely deescalate the situation,” DHS wrote. “Following the incident, all affected detainees were promptly evaluated by on-site medical personnel and were cleared with no serious injuries.”

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