Sponsored by:
Assemblyman JOHN F. MCKEON
District 27 (Essex and Morris)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes requirements for newly installed and replacement electric utility poles and transmission towers.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning electric public utility infrastructure standards and amending P.L.1999, c.23.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 57 of P.L.1999, c.23 (C.48:3-96) shall be amended to read as follows:
57. a. The Board of Public Utilities shall adopt, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), standards for the inspection, maintenance, repair and replacement of the distribution and transmission equipment and facilities of electric public utilities. The standards may be prescriptive standards, performance standards, or both, and shall provide for high quality, safe, and reliable service. The board shall also adopt standards for the operation, reliability, and safety of such equipment and facilities during periods of emergency or disaster. The standards shall require, at a minimum, that: (1) electric public utilities installing new or replacement electric distribution utility poles shall use the highest class of wood electric distribution utility poles; and (2) consistent with federal law and applicable federal reliability requirements, electric public utilities installing new or replacement transmission towers shall use towers constructed of the highest class or grade of material, as appropriate. An electric public utility may install new or replacement electric distribution utility poles constructed of a material other than wood provided that such material shall be of the highest class or grade.
The board shall adopt a schedule of penalties for violations of these standards adopted pursuant to this section.
b. In adopting standards pursuant to this section, the board shall consider cost, local geography and weather, applicable industry codes, national electric industry practices, sound engineering judgment, and past experience. The board shall reference applicable national electrical standards in its classification of electric distribution utility poles and transmission towers.
c. The board shall require each electric public utility to report annually on its compliance with the standards adopted pursuant to this section, and the utility shall make these reports available to the public.
(cf: P.L.1999, c.23, s.57)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Board
of Public Utilities (BPU) to adopt standards to require that electric public
utilities installing new or
replacement electric distribution utility poles install the highest class of wood poles. The bill provides that the utilities may install poles constructed of a material other than wood provided that any such material of the highest class or grade, as appropriate.
The bill also requires that the BPU adopt standards, consistent with federal law, concerning the installation of new or replacement transmission towers. The standards require that the utilities install towers constructed of the highest class or grade of material, as appropriate.
The BPU is directed to reference applicable national electrical standards in its classification of electric distribution utility poles and transmission towers.