Metro Energy Solutions Announces Contract with The Essex County Improvement Authority

NEW JERSEY- January, 2002 - Metro Energy Solutions, a full-service energy services company, today announced it has signed a contract with the Essex County Improvement Authority (ECIA) to provide energy consultant and construction management services to the ECIA with respect to the installation of a cogeneration plant that will supply electric and thermal energy for the new Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark.    Metro Energy Solutions’ responsibilities include the review of all correspondence between the awarded bidder and the ECIA, evaluate and make recommendations on the power purchase agreement between the awarded bidder and the ECIA, review pricing, comprehensive review of the engineering drawings, provide project management oversight during construction, and ongoing bill auditing services for the purpose of reviewing all utility bills for accuracy for the length of the agreement. 

The Essex County Correctional facility is a brand new, state of the art, $250 million correctional facility that is being constructed in Newark, New Jersey.  The prison will be comprised of (4) housing units and (1) administration building.  It is anticipated to house over 4,000 inmates. The new 6.12 MW cogeneration plant will provide all of the energy related requirements to the facility for the 20-year term of the agreement.  The cogeneration plant will cost approximately $18,500,000 to build. The total value of the agreement to provide thermal and electric energy is approximately $175 million.

"With the vast uncertainty of a deregulated energy market the county wanted more price protection and reliability and we were happy to assist the County of Essex in selecting and implementing the most cost effective alternative," stated Dominick Aiello, Metro Energy Solutions' President and CEO.