Bill Text: NJ A2887 | 2012-2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires Energy Master Plan to include long-term capacity planning and infrastructure planning.
Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 14-1)
Status: (Vetoed) 2014-01-13 - Absolute Veto, Received in the Assembly [A2887 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2012-A2887-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman UPENDRA J. CHIVUKULA
District 17 (Middlesex and Somerset)
SYNOPSIS
Requires Energy Master Plan to include long-term capacity planning and infrastructure planning.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act requiring the Energy Master Plan to address long-term capacity planning and infrastructure planning and amending P.L.1977, c.146.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 12 of P.L.1977, c.146 (C.52:27F-14) is amended to read as follows:
12. a. There is established an Energy Master Plan Committee (hereinafter "Committee") which shall be composed of the President of the Board of Public Utilities and the heads of the following principal departments or their designees: [Commerce, Energy and Economic Development] State; Community Affairs; Environmental Protection; Health and Senior Services; Human Services; Transportation; and Treasury. The [Commissioner of Commerce, Energy and Economic Development] President of the Board of Public Utilities or his designee shall be the chairperson of the committee. The committee shall be responsible for the preparation, adoption and revision of master plans regarding the production, distribution, and conservation of energy in this State.
b. The committee within one year of the effective date of this act shall prepare or cause to be prepared, and, after public hearings as hereinafter provided, adopt a master plan for a period of 10 years on the production, distribution, consumption and conservation of energy in this State. Such plan shall be revised and updated at least once every three years. The plan shall include long-term objectives [but shall provide for the] , benchmarks designed to measure the State's progress toward meeting those objectives, and interim implementation of measures consistent with [said] those objectives. The long-term objectives shall, at a minimum, contain an integrated resource plan, which shall include a strategy to ensure that generation capacity and the State's energy infrastructure are sufficient to provide for the long-term energy needs of the State. The committee may from time to time and after public hearings amend the master plan. In preparing the master plan or any portion thereof or amendment thereto the department shall give due consideration to the energy needs and supplies in the several geographic areas of the State, and shall consult and cooperate with any federal or State agency having an interest in the production, distribution, consumption or conservation of energy.
c. Upon preparation of such master plan, and each revision thereof, the committee shall cause copies thereof to be printed, shall transmit sufficient copies thereof to the Governor and the Legislature, for the use of the members thereof, and shall advertise, in such newspapers as the commissioner determines appropriate to reach the greatest possible number of citizens of New Jersey, the existence and availability of such draft plan from the offices of the committee for the use of such citizens as may request same. In addition, the department shall:
(1) Fix dates for the commencement of a series of public hearings, at least one of which shall be held in each geographical area delineated in the master plan. Each such public hearing shall concern the overall content of the plan and those aspects thereof that have relevance to the specific geographical area in which each such public hearing is being held;
(2) At least 60 days prior to each public hearing held pursuant to this section, notify each energy industry and each State department, commission, authority, council, agency, or board charged with the regulation, supervision or control of any business, industry or utility engaged in the production, processing, distribution, transmission, or storage of energy in any form of the time and place for the hearing and shall publish such notice in a newspaper of general circulation in the region where the hearing is to be held, and in such newspapers of general circulation in the State as the commissioner determines appropriate to reach the greatest possible number of citizens of New Jersey.
d. Upon the completion of the requirements of subsection c. of this section, the committee shall consider the testimony presented at all such public hearings and adopt the energy master plan, together with any additions, deletions, or revisions it shall deem appropriate.
e. Upon the adoption of the energy master plan, and upon each revision thereof, the committee shall cause copies thereof to be printed and shall transmit sufficient copies thereof to the Governor and the Legislature, for the use of the members thereof, and to each State department, commission, authority, council, agency, or board charged with the regulation, supervision or control of any business, industry or utility engaged in the production, processing, distribution, transmission, or storage of energy in any form. In addition, the committee shall advertise in the manner provided in subsection c. of this section the existence and availability of the energy master plan from the offices of the committee for the use of such citizens of New Jersey as may request same; provided, however, that the committee may charge a fee for such copies of the energy master plan sufficient to cover the costs of printing and distributing same.
(cf: P.L.1987, c.365, s.14)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill amends existing law by requiring the State's Energy Master Plan to specifically address long-term capacity and infrastructure planning within its long-term objectives. The bill also requires the Energy Master Plan include specific benchmarks to measure the State's progress toward achieving its long-term objectives.
