Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman HEATHER SIMMONS
District 3 (Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem)
Assemblyman STERLEY S. STANLEY
District 18 (Middlesex)
Assemblywoman ALIXON COLLAZOS-GILL
District 27 (Essex and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Requires BPU members to have certain experience and complete certain training.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the membership of the Board of Public Utilities, amending R.S.48:2-1, and supplementing Title 48 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. R.S.48:2-1 is amended to read as follows:
48:2-1. a. The Board of Public Utilities, named pursuant to Reorganization Plan No. 001-1994, effective on July 4, 1994, and allocated in, but not of, the Department of the Treasury pursuant to that plan, is continued and is designated as the Board of Public Utilities or the "board."
b. The board shall consist of five citizens of this State who shall devote their entire time to the duties of the board and shall not engage in any occupation, profession or other gainful employment.
c. Members of the board shall be appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, for terms of six years. The terms of office of the members of the board shall continue until their successors are appointed and qualified. No person shall act as a member of the board until that person's appointment has been confirmed by the Senate. Not more than three of the members of the board shall be members of the same political party. All vacancies, except through the expiration of term, shall be filled for the unexpired term only.
d. For appointments made to the board after the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill):
(1) at least two of the members of the board shall have a minimum of three years of professional experience in: energy policy; energy infrastructure; public utility regulation; public utility management or operations; environmental policy related to energy and public utilities; or telecommunications or broadband infrastructure;
(2) at least one member of the board shall have a minimum of three years of professional experience in: consumer advocacy; ratepayer representation; or public interest regulation; and
(3) the members appointed to the board shall, to the maximum extent possible, reside in diverse geographical areas throughout the State, including urban, suburban, and rural areas.
(cf: P.L.2001, c.132, s.1)
2. (New section) a. Members of the board shall complete, on an annual basis, a minimum of 12 hours of training from an accredited institution, industry association, or governmental regulatory agency in one or more of the following subject areas:
(1) energy market trends;
(2) infrastructure resilience;
(3) grid modernization;
(4) regulatory and policy developments at the state and federal levels concerning public utilities;
(5) public utility rate-setting methodologies and economic impacts on ratepayers;
(6) environmental and renewable energy policies affecting public utility services;
(7) public utility ratepayer protection laws; or
(8) emerging technologies concerning public utilities.
b. Each board member shall submit to the Governor and Legislature, on an annual basis, proof of completion of the training required pursuant to subsection a. of this section.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires members of the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to have certain experience and complete certain training. Under the bill, at least two members of the BPU are required to have a minimum of three years of professional experience in: energy policy; energy infrastructure; public utility regulation; public utility management or operations; environmental policy related to energy and public utilities; or telecommunications or broadband infrastructure. Additionally, at least one member of the BPU is required to have a minimum of three years of professional experience in: consumer advocacy; ratepayer representation; or public interest regulation.
To the maximum extent possible, the bill requires members of the BPU to reside in diverse geographical areas throughout the State, including urban, suburban, and rural areas.
The bill requires members of the BPU to complete a minimum of 12 hours of training, on an annual basis, in one or more subject areas as described in the bill.