Telecommunications and Utilities

This New Jersey bill (S 3379) requires data center owners and operators to submit semi-annual reports to the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) detailing water and energy usage. Existing data centers must begin reporting within three months of the law's enactment, while newer centers have six months. Reports must include basic facility information, usage data, and for centers receiving state funding, specific efficiency metrics like power usage effectiveness. The BPU will publish anonymized, aggregated data online but keep individual reports confidential.

This bill (A 2757) requires electric transmission owners in New Jersey - such as utility companies - to join approved regional transmission entities (like independent system operators) and transfer control of their transmission facilities to these entities. It directly affects electric utilities operating transmission infrastructure within the state, mandating they comply with specific entity requirements. Key provisions include ensuring transmission entities are independent of power generators, minimizing duplicate fees ("rate pancaking"), improving grid reliability, and promoting competitive electricity markets. The law takes effect immediately upon passage.

This bill establishes a pilot program allowing solar energy projects on state and local government-owned roadside rights-of-way (land adjacent to roads, 30-100 feet from the road centerline) in New Jersey. Projects must not exceed 10 megawatts individually, with a total program cap of 200 megawatts, and must avoid disrupting traffic, safety, or road maintenance. The Board of Public Utilities, with input from the Transportation Commissioner, will review applications based on criteria like safety monitoring, environmental impact, and project size, requiring permits before construction. The pilot runs for 36 months, with possible two 12-month extensions (max 50 megawatts increase per extension) to evaluate outcomes.

This bill requires residential customers in New Jersey to give explicit consent before their third-party energy supply contracts undergo significant changes. It defines a material change as any modification to the contract's terms or duration, such as a price adjustment or a switch between fixed and variable rates. Energy suppliers must obtain this verbal, electronic, or written agreement and keep a verifiable record of it for any contract entered into or renewed after the law takes effect. Additionally, the state's Board of Public Utilities will be tasked with creating specific rules to ensure this new consent process is properly implemented.

This bill establishes protections for large electricity customers in New Jersey who consume 50 megawatts or more at a single location. It requires that when the regional grid operator PJM orders load reductions or assigns long-term capacity costs due to these large customers, those obligations must be passed directly to the large customers rather than being spread across all New Jersey electricity users. To qualify for service, large-load customers must provide financial security to ensure their reliability costs do not affect other consumers and must submit detailed usage information to PJM. The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities will create specific rules to implement these requirements.