Bill > A534

Introduced Session

This bill would amend P.L.1977, c.146 (C.52:27F-14), which establishes the State's Energy Master Plan Committee, to require the Board of Public Utilities (BPU), when preparing the Energy Master Plan or any portion thereof or amendment thereto, to consider the following: (1) the energy needs, supplies, and reliability in all geographic areas of the State; (2) the use and development of diverse energy generation sources including, but not limited to, solar, wind, nuclear, hydrogen, natural gas, and renewable natural gas to assure a reliable and sufficient energy supply; (3) the affordability of energy generation, transmission, and distribution to ratepayers; (4) the prioritization of in-State energy generation, to the extent practicable and feasible to minimize subsidies for out-of-State energy generation; and (5) the use of incentives, rather than mandates, when feasible, to increase consumer transparency and choice. The bill would also require the Energy Master Plan to provide that intermittent energy sources are not to exceed 50 percent of the State's energy generation portfolio. The bill updates membership of the Energy Master Plan Committee in accordance with Governor Murphy's Executive Order No. 28. The bill also adds the heads of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Division of the Rate Counsel, and New Jersey Infrastructure Bank, or their designees, as members of the Energy Master Plan Committee. In addition, the bill would require the BPU to perform an analysis of any energy generation facility project prior to issuing final approval, and of the State's Energy Master Plan no later than six months after publishing an update thereto. Specifically, the analysis would: (1) detail the cost, financial impact to the State and any applicable local government unit, effect on ratepayers, and economic impact of the energy policy or project, as applicable; (2) provide a breakdown of all associated costs including, but not limited to, the capital cost of energy generation, transmission, and distribution as well as the capital cost of any infrastructure upgrades needed; (3) use only open source modeling software, and provide details about the software used and all parameters entered into the model; (4) provide an opportunity for public comment at least 30 days prior to the publication of the analysis, and include all pertinent written comments received as part of the analysis; and (5) be published and maintained for at least 10 years on the board's Internet website. The bill would also require the BPU, upon invitation, to present testimony each year to the Senate Environment and Energy Committee and the Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee on the analyses it performed during the previous year.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Christian Barranco (R)*,  Michael Inganamort (R)*,  Alex Sauickie (R)*,  Dawn Fantasia (R),  Nancy Muñoz (R),  Mike Torrissi (R), 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Environment, Natural Resources, and Solid Waste Committee (on 01/09/2024)

Official Document