Bill Text: NJ A4785 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires electric public utilities to pre-place repair equipment in areas with frequent power outages.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-09-19 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities Committee [A4785 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A4785-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ALEX SAUICKIE
District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Requires electric public utilities to pre-place repair equipment in areas with frequent power outages.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning electric public utilities and power outages and supplementing Title 48 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. As used in this section:
"Board" means the Board of Public Utilities or any successor agency.
"Electric public utility" or "utility" means a public utility, as that term is defined in R.S.48:2-13, that distributes electricity to end users within this State.
"High-risk event" means an event that is likely to cause a power outage and includes, but is not limited to, excessive heat waves, severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, high winds, tropical cyclones, and winter storms such as a blizzard.
b. In service areas with frequent power outages due to high-risk events, an electric public utility operating within the State of New Jersey shall pre-place any equipment that is commonly required to remedy a power outage and restore electric service to the service area within 12 to 24 hours before a high-risk event.
(1) A utility shall ensure that the pre-placed repair equipment is regularly maintained, technologically updated, and otherwise functionally reliable to assist with power restoration in a timely manner.
(2) In consultation with the board, a utility shall determine which service areas within its jurisdiction require the pre-placement of repair equipment.
c. The board shall adopt and promulgate, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), rules and regulations as may be necessary for the implementation of this act, including but not limited to the establishment of guidelines to inform electric public utilities of:
(1) the kinds of repair equipment that should be pre-placed in areas with frequent power outages; and
(2) best practices in terms of the logistics and procedure for pre-placing repair equipment prior to high-risk events.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires electric public utilities (utilities) operating within the State to pre-place any equipment that is commonly required to remedy a power outage and restore electric service in services areas with frequent power outages due to high-risk events within 12 to 24 hours before a high-risk event. A utility is to consult with the Board of Public Utilities (board) to determine which service areas within its jurisdiction require the pre-placement of repair equipment. The bill also requires utilities to ensure that the pre-placed repair equipment is regularly maintained, technologically updated, and otherwise functionally reliable to assist with power restoration in a timely manner.
Under the bill, the board is required to issue rules and regulations to establish guidelines to inform utilities of: (1) the kinds of repair equipment that should be pre-placed in areas with frequent power outages; and (2) best practices in terms of the logistics and procedure for pre-placing repair equipment prior to high-risk events.
The bill defines "high-risk event" to mean an event that is likely to cause a power outage and includes, but is not limited to, excessive heat waves, severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, high winds, tropical cyclones, and winter storms such as a blizzard.
.
