A2937

An Act establishing the Power Generation Training Center and supplementing Title 34 of the Revised Statutes.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. As used in this act:

“Department” means the Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

“Power generation industry” means the industry involved in the production of electricity and other forms of energy through nuclear and non-nuclear sources.

"Public-private partnership agreement" means an agreement entered into by the center and a private entity or entities pursuant to this act for the purpose of permitting a private entity or entities to assume full financial and administrative responsibility for the development, construction, reconstruction, repair, alteration, improvement, extension, operation, and maintenance of a center facilities project of, or for the benefit of, the center.

“Center” means the Power Generation Training Center established pursuant to section 2 of this act.

2. a. There is established, in but not of, the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the Power Generation Training Center, which shall serve as a centralized training and workforce development initiative focused on preparing individuals for employment in power generation industries, including nuclear and non-nuclear technologies.

b. The center shall be established and operated through a public-private partnership agreement among the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, the New Jersey Council of County Colleges, the New Jersey State Employment and Training Commission, labor unions, public and private utilities, and other relevant stakeholders. The center may utilize the facilities of public institutions of higher education or other appropriate training centers, including existing energy training facilities.

c. The center shall:

(1) develop and implement curricula in consultation with industry experts, educational institutions, and organized labor that address the State’s emerging workforce needs in nuclear and non-nuclear power generation;

(2) provide instruction, apprenticeships, and training opportunities in coordination with relevant partners;

(3) support workforce pipelines for underserved communities and displaced workers;

(4) facilitate certification or credentialing programs recognized by the power generation industry; and

(5) collaborate with secondary and postsecondary institutions to align educational pathways with power generation industry workforce needs.

3. a. The center shall be governed by a board consisting of nine members, as follows:

(1) the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development, or the commissioner’s designee, who shall serve ex officio;

(2) the Secretary of Higher Education, or the secretary’s designee, who shall serve ex officio;

(3) the President of the Board of Public Utilities, or the president’s designee, who shall serve ex officio;

(4) one representative from the New Jersey Council of County Colleges to be appointed by the Governor;

(5) one representative from a labor or union organization with expertise in energy and utility work to be appointed by the Governor;

(6) two public members with relevant experience in the power generation industry to be appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate; and

(7) two representatives with relevant experience in the power generation industry, one appointed by the President of the Senate and one appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly.

The chairperson of the board shall be appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, from among the public members.

b. The terms of the public members of the board shall be for five years or until their successors are appointed, except that, of the appointments first made to the board under this act, two shall serve for terms of three years or until their successors are appointed. Any vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment but only for the balance of the unexpired term. A member may be reappointed to a second or subsequent term. The members shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties, within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the center for its purposes.

c. Each member appointed by the Governor may be removed from office by the Governor. Each member, before entering upon the member’s duties, shall take and subscribe an oath to perform the duties of the office faithfully, impartially, and justly to the best of the member’s ability. A record of these oaths shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of State.

d. A majority of the board members shall constitute a quorum. The board may take action upon the affirmative vote of a majority of members present. No vacancy in the membership of the board shall impair the right of a quorum to exercise all the rights and perform all the duties of the board.

e. The board shall oversee development of the center, recommend priority training areas, approve curriculum standards, and provide strategic guidance to support the long-term success of the center.

4. a. The Governor shall appoint an initial executive director of the center. Thereafter, the board shall have the power to appoint an executive director, who shall serve at the pleasure of the board and receive compensation as provided by the board, without regard to the provisions of Title 11A of the New Jersey Statutes. The appointment by the board of an executive director shall terminate the employment of the initial executive director appointed by the Governor, except that the board may choose to appoint the initial executive director to serve as the executive director.

b. The executive director shall be responsible for the selection of properly qualified staff of the center. Staff members shall receive compensation as provided by the board, without regard to the provisions of Title 11A of the New Jersey Statutes.

5. a. The Department of Labor and Workforce Development is authorized to utilize any additional funds necessary, as determined by the commissioner, to fulfill the provisions of this act from the moneys collected from the “Global Warming Solutions Fund” created pursuant to section 6 of P.L.2007, c.340 (C.26:2C-50), the societal benefits charge imposed pursuant to section 12 of P.L.1999, c.23 (C.48:3-60), and any other funding source the Legislature may appropriate to the Power Generation Training Center.

b. The center may seek grants, contributions, or other forms of financial assistance from public or private sources, including federal funding opportunities.

c. Funds from grants provided in accordance with this act shall not be used for any activities which replace, supplant, compete with or duplicate in any way existing approved power generation training programs.

6. The Power Generation Training Center shall submit an annual report to the Governor and to the Legislature, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), on the progress and outcomes of the center, including information on its facilities, partnerships, compensation of employees, enrollment, curriculum, and the contribution of the center to the advancement of the State’s power generation industry.

7. This act shall take effect 180 days after the date of enactment.

STATEMENT

This bill establishes the Power Generation Training Center in, but not of, the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The center is intended to serve as a centralized training and workforce development initiative focused on preparing individuals for employment in power generation industries, including nuclear and non-nuclear technologies.

Under the bill, the center will operate as a public-private partnership among the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, the New Jersey Council of County Colleges, the New Jersey State Employment and Training Commission, labor unions, public and private utilities, and other relevant stakeholders. The center may utilize the facilities of public institutions of higher education or other appropriate training centers, including existing energy training facilities.

The center’s responsibilities include developing curricula in consultation with industry experts, educational institutions, and organized labor; providing instruction, apprenticeships, and training opportunities; supporting workforce pipelines for underserved communities and displaced workers; facilitating certification programs; and aligning educational pathways with workforce needs in the power generation industry.

The center will be governed by a board consisting of nine members, as follows: the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development, the Secretary of Higher Education, the President of the Board of Public Utilities, or their designees, one representative from the New Jersey Council of County Colleges, one representative from a labor or union organization with expertise in energy and utility work; two public members with relevant experience in the power generation industry to be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate; and two representatives with relevant experience in the power generation industry, one appointed by the President of the Senate and one appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly.

The center will be headed by an executive director, who will receive compensation without regard for Title 11A of the Revised Statutes. The executive director will be responsible for the selection of properly qualified staff of the center.

The bill authorizes the Department of Labor and Workforce Development to allocate funds to fulfill the provisions of the bill from the “Global Warming Solutions Fund” P.L.2007, c.340 (C.26:2C-50), the societal benefits charge P.L.1999, c.23 (C.48:3-60), and other funding sources the Legislature may appropriate. The center may also seek assistance from public or private sources or federal funding opportunities.

According to the sponsor, this bill is needed because New Jersey has lost approximately 20 percent of its energy generating capacity and has become a net importer of energy. This loss of capacity has also contributed to the decline of good-paying jobs in the energy generation industry. To regain its status as an energy-generating State, New Jersey must build more energy generation infrastructure and begin training a workforce to operate it. This bill begins that process of preparing the next generation of energy producers.