SENATE ECONOMIC GROWTH COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 265

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  DECEMBER 11, 2020

      The Senate Economic Growth Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 265.

      As reported, this bill requires the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to adopt rules and regulations requiring an electric public utility to provide priority power restoration following an extended power outage to: 1) hospitals; 2) nursing homes; 3) assisted living facilities; 4) chronic or acute renal dialysis facilities; and 5) clinical or research laboratories or institutes that store human blood, other human tissue, or human DNA. 

      The bill requires the BPU to allow an electric public utility to exercise its discretion to prioritize power restoration to any of the specified facilities after an extended power outage in accordance with the facilities’ needs and the characteristics of the geographic area in which power is to be restored.

      Any priority power restoration efforts on behalf of the specified facilities are not to divert efforts to restore power where needed to otherwise maintain overall public safety.

As reported, Senate Bill No. 265 is identical to Assembly Bill No. 1226, which was also reported by the committee on this date.

      This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2020-2021 session pending technical review.  As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.