Bill > A6153

This bill establishes requirements for public utility infrastructure investments, particularly for electric public utilities, to ensure safe, adequate, and timely service. It mandates that electric public utilities conduct advanced planning and construction to increase their "hosting capacity" (the amount of electricity generation that can be connected to the grid) and "load capacity" (the amount of new load that can be added to the grid) without delays, and to upgrade their systems to meet air quality and decarbonization goals. Within 240 days of enactment, electric utilities must provide the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (the "Board") with detailed maps of their grid's capacity, propose target times for connecting new customers ("energization time periods"), offer flexible interconnection options, and present plans for using distributed energy resources (like solar power or battery storage) to minimize traditional grid upgrades. The bill also requires utilities to publish this information online and report on their staffing levels and energization performance. Furthermore, it creates an "Infrastructure Investment Program" that allows gas, electric, and water public utilities to accelerate investment in projects that improve safety, reliability, resiliency, or support economic growth, with the goal of recovering these costs through rates. This program requires utilities to submit detailed project plans, budgets, and justifications to the Board for approval, and allows for accelerated rate recovery for qualifying investments, subject to performance reviews and potential penalties.

Transportation and Infrastructure

https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2024/A6153