SENATE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 3939

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JUNE 8, 2026

      The Senate Environment and Energy Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 3939.

      As amended, this bill would permit dual-use solar energy projects to participate in the Community Solar Energy Program (program), which offers credits to program participants on their electric public utility bill equal to the amount of electricity generated that is attributed to their participation in a solar energy project under the program.  Under current law, the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) restricts qualified solar energy projects under the program to those located on rooftops, carports or canopies, contaminated sites or landfills, bodies of water such as water treatment reservoirs or dredge ponds, and mining sites.  In addition, the bill would grant entry to dual-use solar energy projects into the community solar market segment of the BPU’s small solar facilities incentive program, which, in part, awards solar renewable energy certificate IIs, commonly known as SREC-IIs, to the owners of community solar facilities.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amendments to the bill: 

      (1) change the defined term “dual-use or agrivoltaics solar facilities” to “dual-use solar energy project”;

      (2) define “dual-use solar energy project” to mean the same as that term is currently defined pursuant to N.J.S.A.48:3-87.13; and

      (3) revise the bill’s synopsis.