A 847 New Jersey General Assembly · 2026-2027 Regular Session

Requires electric public utility to reimburse cost of certain customer-owned electric service equipment if damage to equipment is due to weather event affecting electric public utility service.

This bill requires New Jersey electric utilities to reimburse customers for the full cost of replacing customer-owned electrical equipment (like weatherheads, meter bases, and service lines outside homes) if weather-related damage causes failure, provided the utility caused the damage and the customer wasn't at fault. It applies to equipment used to deliver power to a building, excluding interior wiring. The Board of Public Utilities must create rules to implement this, including investigating fault after weather events that cause sustained power outages (over 12 hours). Utilities would cover replacement costs for damage from events like storms, floods, or power surges from downed lines, but only if the customer didn't cause the issue.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 13, 2026 Last action Jan 13, 2026
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Jan 13, 2026
Introduced
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities Committee
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Gerry Scharfenberger
Gerry Scharfenberger
RRepublican
NJ
13