Mayor, committee search for energy alternatives
BY DANIELLE MEDINA Correspondent

BRICK TOWNSHIP - There may be a power shift in the township in the near future that has nothing to do with the Democratic or Republican parties.

Mayor Stephen C. Acropolis last month announced the formation of a committee to study the feasibility of utilizing renewable energy sources - specifically solar panels and wind turbines - at township facilities.

"This is about finding innovative ways to reduce the costs of government,"Acropolis said. "If using renewable energy sources will create savings for the taxpayers, I'm all for it."

The goals of the Mayor's Advisory Committee on Renewable Energy are to identify municipal facilities that are compatible with renewable energy; the cost of the initial investment; and potential savings.

"We're going to look at anything the township owns or is involved in - town hall, the Municipal Utilities Authority and lighting at parks, Windward Beach and the reservoir," said Lou Ianniello, the committee chairman.

Ianniello, who has project manager experience at KPMG and Ernst & Young, is currently employed as an operations manager and energy expert at Four Point Heating, Cooling and Solar, Point Pleasant.

Committee members have chosen residents to participate and are hoping to inform them of their selection this week, Ianniello said.

Additionally, the committee is looking a representative from theMunicipal Utilities Authority, the Board of Education and the township Planning Board to come on board.

Committee members are also waiting for a resolution from the Township Coun- cil, which will give the committee the backing it needs to move forward.

"I hope by mid-March we'll be able to kickoff," Ianniello said.

In the meantime, Ianniello has been attending local meetings and doing research on renewable energy.

Acropolis and Ianniello were expected to attend a mayor's meeting early this week in Ocean Gate on wind power.

Ianniello said that the borough has two windmills in operation at its municipal complex.

"What we'd also like to do is create a coalition on renewable energy in Ocean County to share services and avoid a duplication of efforts," Ianniello said. "The mayor is very anxious for Brick to be at the forefront of this. We're very excited about it."

Acropolis recently visited the Atlantic County Utilities Authority to observe the five windmills the utility has up and running.

"It was fantastic," he said. "They are saving a ton of money. It's a public-private partnership with savings of about $600,000 to $700,000 a year."

Acropolis would like to put one behind town hall.

"You can't put one at the high school and give us energy across the street at Town Hall," he said. "You have to put the windmill where the energy is going to be used. If you transport it across a property line, you become a utility."

Windmills can generate "a heck of a lot of money," the mayor said.

"That's the key," he said. "Look for revenue generators. We've got to generate revenue."

Staff writer Patricia A. Miller contributed to this story