Bill > A5898

Introduced Session

This bill requires the Board of Public Utilities (board) to study the potential deployment of advanced transmission technologies (ATT) by electric public utilities in the State. In conducting the study, the board is to: (1) evaluate the attributes, functions, costs, and benefits of ATT; (2) evaluate the potential of any ATT to enable an electric public utility to provide safe, reliable, and affordable electricity to its customers, taking certain factors into consideration; (3) identify potential reductions in an electric public utility's transmission project costs and transmission project completion timelines by deploying ATT, as compared to traditional transmission infrastructure; (4) identify potential ways to streamline the deployment of ATT; (5) evaluate policies and laws in other states that have deregulated energy sectors, which polices and laws concern ATT, and provide recommendations in accordance with the policies and laws to enable and encourage the adoption of ATT in this State; (6) identify processes or ways that an end-use customer can invest in and deploy ATT in partnership with their respective electric public utility to allow for the more rapid deployment of ATT; (7) identify how the board can support and encourage the implementation of ATT in New Jersey; and (8) evaluate any other aspect of ATT that the board determines will assist policymakers, electric public utilities, electric public utility customers, and other stakeholders in understanding the potential role of ATT in the transmission system serving this State and the region. While conducting the study, the board is required to give notice of a public stakeholder meeting and to invite interested parties and members of the public to discuss the study. The board is to hold at least two public stakeholder meetings to review comments from stakeholders. In addition, the bill requires the board, within one year after the bill's date of enactment, to submit a written report to the Governor and the Legislature with the findings of its study. The board is to publish the report on its Internet website. Energy demand is projected to rise due to the buildout of data centers, population growth, increasing electrification, and growth in domestic manufacturing, among other factors. Simultaneously, the nation's transmission infrastructure is aging and inadequate to accommodate the estimated 290 gigawatt backlog of energy generation projects sitting in PJM Interconnection, L.L.C.'s interconnection queue. To address the lack of adequate transmission infrastructure, which contributes to grid congestion, it is in the public interest for the board to study the potential to increase the efficiency, reliability, and safety of the electrical grid through ATT deployment. Under the bill, "advanced transmission technologies" means software or hardware technologies that increase the capacity, efficiency, reliability, or safety of an existing or new electric transmission facility, including: (1) grid enhancing technologies, such as dynamic line rating, advanced power flow controllers, and topology optimization; (2) advanced or high-performance conductors; and (3) other technologies designed to reduce transmission congestion or increase the capacity, efficiency, reliability, or safety of an existing or new electric transmission facility.

Committee Categories

Clinton Calabrese (D)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities Committee (on 06/27/2025)

Official Document