Bill Text: NJ A525 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Allows electric public utilities to enter into agreements to place power restoration equipment on private property in anticipation of certain power outages.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities Committee [A525 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A525-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman CHRISTIAN E. BARRANCO
District 25 (Morris and Somerset)
SYNOPSIS
Allows electric public utilities to enter into agreements to place power restoration equipment on private property in anticipation of certain power outages.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning certain electric public utility emergency response measures and supplementing Title 48 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. As used in P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill):
"Board" means the Board of Public Utilities or any successor agency.
"Electric public utility" or "utility" means a public utility, as defined in R.S.48:2-13, that operates an electricity distribution system for public use within this State.
"Major event" means an occurrence arising from conditions beyond the control of an electric public utility, including, but not limited to, a terrorist attack, thunderstorm, tornado, hurricane, flood, heat wave, snow storm, ice storm, or earthquake, which result in:
a. a sustained interruption of utility service to at least 10 percent of the customers in a service area or 10 percent of a utility's customers within a municipality or county located in a utility service area; or
b. the declaration of a state of emergency or disaster by the State or by the federal government.
"Service area" means a defined geographical service territory where an electric public utility operates an electricity distribution system for public use within this State as approved by the board.
"Sustained interruption" means the cessation of electric public utility service to one or more customers lasting more than 48 hours.
2. An electric public utility may enter into an agreement with an owner of private property to place the utility's power restoration equipment, as determined by the utility, on that private property for deployment in anticipation of a sustained interruption caused by a major event.
3. This act shall take effect immediately, but shall remain inoperative for 60 days following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill allows an electric public utility (utility) to enter into an agreement with an owner of private property to place the utility's power restoration equipment, as determined by the utility, on that private property for deployment in anticipation of a "sustained interruption" caused by a "major event" as those terms are defined in the bill.
