Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ALEX SAUICKIE
District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman Fantasia
SYNOPSIS
Requires electric public utilities to report certain infrastructure repairs to BPU for development of cost-savings recommendations.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning electric public utility infrastructure and supplementing Title 48 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. As used in this section:
“Board” means the Board of Public Utilities or a successor agency.
“Electric public utility” means a public utility, as that term is defined pursuant to R.S.48:2-13, that transmits and distributes electricity to end users within the State.
b. An electric public utility shall report to the Board of Public Utilities, in a manner and form to be determined by the board: each piece of the electric public utility’s infrastructure that has been repaired or replaced ahead of the routine maintenance schedule for such infrastructure due to damage sustained during a storm or other event beyond the electric public utility’s control; and the location of such infrastructure within the electric public utility’s service area.
c. The board shall: maintain a record of the information submitted by each electric public utility pursuant to subsection b. of this section; review each reported infrastructure repair to determine whether the repair was necessary and appropriate; and report to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), recommendations to improve the longevity and reliability of electric public utility infrastructure in order to lower infrastructure repair costs for electric public utilities and ratepayers.
d. The board shall, in accordance with the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), adopt rules and regulations as necessary to implement this section.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires an electric public utility to report to the Board of Public Utilities (board) each piece of the utility’s infrastructure that has been repaired or replaced ahead of the routine maintenance schedule for such infrastructure due to damage sustained during a storm or other event beyond the utility’s control and the location of each piece of infrastructure. Under the bill, the board is required to maintain a record of and review such information to determine whether a reported infrastructure repair was necessary and appropriate. In addition, based on its review under the bill, the board is required to make recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature on how to improve the longevity and reliability of electric public utility infrastructure in order to lower infrastructure repair costs.