Bill

Bill > S446


NJ S446

NJ S446
Prohibits utility from billing customer for costs incurred for certain upgrades to utility infrastructure; allows costs for certain upgrades to utility infrastructure be recovered in utility's rate base.


summary

Introduced
01/09/2024
In Committee
01/09/2024
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
01/12/2026

Introduced Session

2024-2025 Regular Session

Bill Summary

The bill requires a public utility customer who has completed a qualified construction project to, within 90 days of completion of the construction, provide to the Board of Public Utilities (board) and to the customer's public utilities a certification from a licensed contractor that the construction on the customer's property was performed to mitigate damage to the customer's property from a previous or future natural disaster. "Qualified construction project" is defined as construction performed on the real property of a customer of a public utility to mitigate damage to the customer's real property from a previous or future natural disaster. A customer who fails to provide the certification to the board and the customer's public utilities within 90 days of the completion of the construction may be liable to the public utility for costs incurred by the public utility for necessary upgrades to its infrastructure as a result of the construction performed on the customer's property. The bill provides that any costs incurred by a public utility for necessary upgrades to its infrastructure as a result of a qualified construction project receiving certification may be recovered in a base rate case. Under the bill, a public utility is not to bill a customer to recover the costs incurred to the public utility for necessary upgrades to its infrastructure as a result of a qualified construction project, except that the public utility may bill the customer for the customer's pro rata share of any increase in the public utility's rate base or other recovery mechanism approved by the board.

AI Summary

This bill requires a public utility customer who has completed a qualified construction project, defined as construction performed to mitigate damage to the customer's property from a previous or future natural disaster, to provide a certification from a licensed contractor to the Board of Public Utilities and the customer's public utility within 90 days of completion. The bill prohibits the public utility from billing the customer to recover the costs incurred for necessary upgrades to its infrastructure as a result of the qualified construction project, except that the customer may be billed for their pro rata share of any increase in the public utility's rate base or other recovery mechanism approved by the Board. The bill allows the public utility to include the costs incurred for the necessary upgrades in its rate base or recover them from ratepayers.

Committee Categories

Business and Industry

Sponsors (1)

Last Action

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Economic Growth Committee (on 01/09/2024)

bill text


bill summary

Loading...

bill summary

Loading...

bill summary

Loading...