Bill > A5840

Introduced Session

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.

AI Summary

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Alex Sauickie (R)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities Committee (on 06/16/2025)

Official Document