Sen. Bob Smith

Maddy summaryThis bill requires electric utilities in New Jersey to obtain BPU approval (a "certificate of public convenience and necessity") before starting new transmission lines or modifying existing ones. Utilities must submit applications including necessary information and pay a fee, with the BPU required to rule within 150 days (extendable by 75 days). The BPU must approve only if the project is necessary for reliable service at lowest cost, the utility can manage construction well, and financing won’t harm customers. It excludes projects already approved by PJM Interconnection through their standard process. The bill directly affects electric utilities planning grid upgrades.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits non-electric vehicles and plug-in electric vehicles that are not actively charging from parking in designated electric vehicle charging spaces. It requires these spaces to have visible signage and pavement markings indicating they're reserved for plug-in electric vehicles that are actively charging, with the signage needing to be visible day and night. Violators face escalating fines ($55 for first offense, $100 for second, $200 for third and subsequent offenses), and municipalities may tow vehicles in violation. The bill directly affects drivers who park in these spaces without meeting the specified conditions.

Maddy summaryS 4143 requires new artificial intelligence (AI) data centers and cryptocurrency mining facilities in New Jersey to submit an energy usage plan to the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) before connecting to the grid. The plan must detail how the facility will use 100% new clean energy (like solar/wind or nuclear power) for all electricity, minimize cooling energy, optimize water use, and reuse waste heat. This requirement only applies once the BPU confirms a majority of states in the PJM grid region (which includes New Jersey) have similar rules. The bill directly affects developers seeking local approval for these facilities by mandating clean energy compliance before construction begins.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey Senate Bill S4425 establishes a 15-member "Fleet Conversion Task Force" within the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The task force will study challenges commercial fleet owners - especially small businesses - face when transitioning to zero-emission vehicles (like electric trucks), including costs and infrastructure needs. It will coordinate with stakeholders and recommend policy changes to support this transition, aiming to reduce transportation-sector emissions (which account for 38% of the state's total greenhouse gases). The bill does not mandate fleet conversions but creates a study body to inform future policy.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to conduct a comprehensive assessment every five years of unregulated perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water. The assessment must determine if new safety standards are needed and specifically evaluate whether current standards adequately protect children, considering their smaller size and higher water intake relative to body weight. The DEP must report findings to the Governor and Legislature, publishing them online. This directly affects the DEP's regulatory duties and aims to strengthen public health protections for all New Jersey residents using public water systems.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a three-year pilot program allowing New Jersey gas public utilities to replace aging natural gas pipelines with geothermal energy infrastructure. Gas utilities would be permitted to recover project costs through customer rates, but must submit detailed infrastructure plans to the Board of Public Utilities for review. The Board would evaluate each project based on size, cost, environmental benefits, and financial impact on ratepayers. Annual reports would be required, and the Board would determine after three years whether to make the program permanent. The bill also updates definitions to include geothermal energy as part of public utility services.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill revises the Municipal Land Use Law (MLUL) to streamline development applications and increase fee transparency. It requires municipalities to adopt standardized application forms and checklists, sets specific timeframes for processing applications (14 days for resubmissions, 30 days for initial resolution compliance reviews), and mandates annual fee reporting by professionals. The bill directly affects developers seeking land use approvals, municipal agencies processing applications, and professionals (consultants and municipal staff) providing related services. These changes aim to reduce delays in the development approval process and make fee structures more transparent. The bill also updates procedures for disputing professional fees, allowing applicants to directly appeal to county boards rather than requiring municipal mediation first.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's S 4126 prohibits all commercial uses of trichloroethylene (TCE) and bans both consumer and commercial uses of perchloroethylene (PCE), while requiring facilities using PCE to protect workers from exposure. The bill directly affects businesses in dry cleaning, industrial cleaning, adhesives, and manufacturing that currently use these chemicals. It mandates the Department of Environmental Protection to adopt rules matching federal EPA regulations from December 2024, which address health risks like cancer and organ damage linked to PCE and TCE exposure. The law takes effect immediately.

Maddy summaryThis bill allocates $22,431,294 from the 2003 Dam, Lake and Stream Project Revolving Loan Fund and $6,239,630 from the 1992 Dam Restoration and Clean Water Trust Fund - totaling $28,670,924 - to provide loans for dam restoration and inland waters projects. The funds, drawn from unused monies due to project cancellations and repayments, directly support 17 specific projects, including repairs for private dams (like High Crest Lake Dam and Mountain Creek Lake Dam) and lake associations, as well as local government-owned dams. These loans finance restoration costs for dam owners, private lake associations, or local governments working together. The bill specifies that unexpended funds will return to the respective bond funds for future projects.

Maddy summaryS 4300 eliminates New Jersey's solar renewable energy portfolio standard, which required electric power suppliers and basic generation service providers to source a certain percentage of electricity from solar energy. Instead of using solar renewable energy certificates (SRECs), the bill directs the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to replace the system with fixed-rate incentives of $95 per megawatt hour of solar energy produced. This change would take effect on June 1, 2025, and would provide direct payments to solar facility owners who were properly registered in the existing SREC program. The bill would require the BPU to develop a new system for distributing these fixed-rate payments to eligible solar energy producers.