Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ALEX SAUICKIE
District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Requires BPU to publish third-party energy supplier information on its Internet website; establishes public awareness campaign on retail choice.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning public information on third-party energy suppliers 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 New Jersey Board of Public Utilities or any successor agency.
“Electric power supplier” means the same as that term is defined in section 3 of P.L.1999. c.23 (C.48:3-51).
“Electric public utility” means a public utility, as that term is defined in R.S.48:2-13, that transmits and distributes electricity to end users in the State.
“Gas public utility” means a public utility, as that term is defined in R.S.48:2-13, that distributes gas to end users within the State.
“Gas supplier” means the same as that term is defined in section 3 of P.L.1999, c.23 (C.48:3-51).
“Retail choice” means the same as that term is defined in section 3 of P.L.1999, c.23 (C.48:3-51).
2. a. The Board of Public Utilities shall examine the Internet websites of public utility regulatory bodies in other states with deregulated energy sectors to determine which state has the most helpful and user-friendly information for electric public utility customers and gas public utility customers looking to exercise their right to retail choice.
b. No later than 90 days after making its determination pursuant to subsection a. of this section, and on a quarterly basis thereafter, the board shall publish on its Internet website information concerning electric power suppliers and gas suppliers that do business in the State to allow electric public utility and gas public utility customers to exercise their right to retail choice in an informed manner. The information required pursuant to this subsection shall:
(1) be compiled in a similar format and of a similar composition to the information included on the website of the state selected as a model website by the board pursuant to subsection a. of this section;
(2) educate the public in plain language on the benefits of exercising retail choice through an electric power supplier or gas supplier; and
(3) be published in a user-friendly manner.
3. The Board of Public Utilities shall establish a public awareness campaign to educate electric public utility and gas public utility customers on:
a. the benefits of exercising retail choice; and
b. how to utilize the information pertaining to electric power suppliers and gas suppliers, as updated pursuant to section 2 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), on the board’s Internet website.
4. The Board of Public Utilities shall adopt, pursuant to the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), any rules and regulations that may be necessary to implement the provisions of this act.
5. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Board of Public Utilities (board) to examine the Internet websites of public utility regulatory bodies in other states with deregulated energy sectors to determine which state has the most helpful and user-friendly information for electric public utility customers and gas public utility customers looking to exercise their right to retail choice. No later than 90 days after making this determination, and on a quarterly basis thereafter, the board is to publish information on its Internet website concerning electric power suppliers and gas suppliers that do business in the State, which information is required to: (1) be modeled off the information published on the website of the state selected by the board under the bill; (2) educate the public in plain language on the benefits of exercising retail choice through an electric power supplier or gas supplier; and (3) be published in a user-friendly manner.
In addition, the bill requires the board to establish a public awareness campaign to educate electric public utility and gas public utility customers on: (1) the benefits of exercising retail choice; and (2) how to utilize the information pertaining to electric power suppliers and gas suppliers, as updated pursuant to the bill’s provisions, on the board’s Internet website.
In New Jersey, since the enactment of the “Electric Discount and Energy Competition Act” in 1999, electric public utility and gas public utility customers have had the ability to exercise retail choice by selecting their own electric power supplier or gas supplier. However, according to the board’s Internet website, as of February 2025, only 6.2 percent of the State’s residential electric public utility customers and 2.5 percent of the State’s residential gas public utility customers obtain their energy supply through an electric power supplier or gas supplier. With this bill, the sponsor intends to better educate the public on its right to exercise retail choice.