Project Porchlight Blog

The New Jersey State League of Municipalities (NJSLM) is a voluntary association that helps communities do a better job of self-governing by pooling together information resources and brainpower. The annual NJSLM conference serves as an important way for municipal officials to gather new ideas and information to help them govern their communities.

The 94th Annual NJSLM Conference was held on November 17-20 at the Atlantic City Convention Center, and Project Porchlight was on hand to educate local leaders about energy efficiency and the energy savings offered by compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs.

A total of 1,500 CFL bulbs were distributed, part of Project Porchlight New Jersey’s campaign to distribute energy-efficient light bulbs to residents across the state. Project Porchlight is an energy efficiency program run by the community based social marketing organization One Change. The campaign is made possible thanks to funding by the state Board of Public Utilities (BPU) and New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program (NJCEP).

Project Porchlight Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator Vicky Allen reports that the NJSLM Conference served as an excellent way for Project Porchlight to connect with hundreds of local officials. “It was a great opportunity to introduce ourselves to communities that are new to Project Porchlight as well as congratulate old friends that have received the Sustainable New Jersey certification,” she says. “We had the opportunity to educate community stakeholders on the benefits of using CFL bulbs, and these stakeholders will be delivering that message back to their communities. It was an excellent way to deliver the message to a large group of participants who are interested in doing their part when it comes to energy conservation.”

Project Porchlight empowers people to believe that simple actions matter and to make smart choices that protect the environment. After all, when it comes to protecting our environment, simple actions matter. Even something as simple as changing a light bulb is important. Newly elected NJSLM President James Anzaldi, who also serves as Mayor of Clifton, New Jersey, was delighted to welcome Project Porchlight to the conference. “Project Porchlight continues to bring awareness of how we can all do something for energy conservation by simply changing a light bulb,” he says.

Mayor Anzaldi switched to CFL bulbs in his own home years ago. “It has made a difference in energy costs,” he says. “We just did our huge City of Clifton Christmas tree with LED lighting—it looks great and saves dollars. City Halls and other public buildings are all catching the ‘green,’ and this is just one way we can achieve the common goal of energy savings.”

Project Porchlight’s New Jersey campaign has been so successful due to the community partnerships that we have been able to make. “The message of ‘Simple Actions Matter’ strikes a chord with everyone,” says Vicky. “You don't have to be well-versed in environmentalism to understand it.”

Mayor Anzaldi is looking forward to Clifton’s next collaboration with Project Porchlight. “This helps us to have everyone join in our nation’s long fight to lessen energy consumption,” he says. “And it’s simple!”