ASSEMBLY ENVIRONMENT AND SOLID WASTE COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 4782

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JUNE 15, 2023

      The Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 4782.

      This bill, as amended by the committee, would modify the goals for the annual capacity of solar energy projects to be approved under the permanent Community Solar Energy Program (program).  Under the bill, the program's goals would be the approval of 225 megawatts of solar energy projects prior to June 2024, an additional 225 megawatts prior to June 2025, and an additional 150 megawatts per year thereafter.

      The bill would also direct the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to include, in the rules and regulations for the program required to be adopted under current law, (1) requirements and standards concerning the auditing and enforcement of a solar energy project's compliance with the program, and (2) provisions to allow low-and moderate-income residential customers to self-attest to the customer’s income as an acceptable income verification method for participation in a solar energy project. 

      Lastly, the bill amends current law authorize an electric public utility to disclose certain residential customer information without the consent of the customer to a local government entity or its agent for use in an automatic enrollment program for a solar energy project.

      As amended and reported by the committee, this bill is identical to Senate Bill No. 3123 (1R), as also amended and reported by the committee.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amendments to the bill:

      (1)  revise the program’s goals to provide that the increase in the annual capacity goal of the program would be for the approval (rather than the development) of 225 megawatts prior to June 1, 2024, an additional 225 megawatts prior to 2025, and an additional 150 megawatts per year thereafter, rather than to 500 megawatts per year; and

      (2)  require the BPU to include in its rules and regulations provisions concerning the auditing and enforcement of a solar energy project's compliance with the program;

      (3)  require the BPU to allow, in the rules and regulations for the program required to be adopted under current law, low-and moderate-income residential customers to self-attest to the customer’s income as an acceptable income verification method for participation in a solar energy project; and

      (4)  provide that electric public utilities may disclose certain residential customer information to a county, municipality, or an agent thereof, for use in an automatic enrollment program for a solar energy project, without the consent of the residential customer.