Bill Text: NJ S247 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes new position of Clean Energy Advocate in BPU to facilitate coordination and cooperation among various State agencies in association with implementation of interagency clean energy projects.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Environment and Energy Committee [S247 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-S247-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator BOB SMITH
District 17 (Middlesex and Somerset)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes new position of Clean Energy Advocate in BPU to facilitate coordination and cooperation among various State agencies in association with implementation of interagency clean energy projects.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning the facilitation of interagency clean energy projects and supplementing Title 48 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. As used in this act:
"Board" means the Board of Public Utilities.
"Clean energy" means and includes Class I renewable energy and Class II renewable energy, as defined by section 3 of P.L.1999, c.23 (C.48:3-51), as well as nuclear energy, fusion energy, and any other form of energy, the production of which does not result in the emission of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases.
"Clean energy sector" means the segment of industry that involves the generation and supply of clean energy to energy consumers.
"De-carbonization goals" means the renewable energy-related and carbon emissions-related goals and targets established pursuant to New Jersey's Energy Master Plan; the greenhouse gas emissions standards, renewable energy portfolio standards, emissions portfolio standards, solar and offshore wind energy requirements, zero-emissions certificate standards, energy storage, energy efficiency, energy savings, and peak demand reduction standards and requirements, community solar energy program standards, dual-use solar energy program standards, and electric vehicle standards variously established pursuant to the "Global Warming Response Act," P.L.2007, c.112 (C.26:2C-37 et al.), the "Electric Discount and Energy Competition Act," P.L.1999, c.23 (C.48:3-49 et al.), the State's offshore wind economic development act, P.L.2010, c.57 (C.48:3-87.1 et al.), the State's zero emissions certificate act, P.L.2018, c.16 (C.48:3-87.3 et al.), the State's clean energy act, P.L.2018, c.17 (C.48:3-87.8 et seq.), and the State's electric vehicles act, P.L.2019, c.362 (C.48:25-1 et seq.); and any other similar standards or requirements related to carbon emissions or the use of renewable energy resources by carbon emitters which are now or hereinafter enacted into law.
"Interagency clean energy project" means any project, including, but not limited to, a dual-use solar energy project, as defined by section 1 of P.L.2021, c.170 (C.48:3-87.13), which involves the construction, maintenance, restoration, modernization, updating, or operation of a clean energy system, a microgrid system, an energy storage system, or any components thereof, or which involves the expansion, maintenance, restoration, modernization, updating, improvement, or operation of the State's energy grid, or which is otherwise designed or intended, in any way, to promote or increase energy efficiency in the State or to reduce or offset the amount of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases or co-pollutants emitted as a result of energy production or consumption in the State, and which project is implemented, managed, or overseen, or entails the undertaking of project-related activities, by more than one State agency.
"President" means the President of the Board of Public Utilities.
"State agency" means any of the principal departments of the Executive Branch of State Government; any agency, authority, board, bureau, commission, division, institution, office, or other instrumentality within, or created by, any such department; and any other authority, commission, instrumentality, or agency that is authorized to operate in this State, either as an independent entity or pursuant to the Governor's executive authority.
2. a. The President of the Board of Public Utilities shall appoint a Clean Energy Advocate to serve within the board's Division of State Energy Services.
b. The purpose and duties of the Clean Energy Advocate shall be to serve as a central point of contact for, proactively reach out to, engage in interagency communications with, and act as a liaison between and among, the heads and appropriate staff of State agencies that are, in any way, involved in the development or implementation of an interagency clean energy project in the State, in order to identify and resolve interagency disputes, facilitate more effective and efficient interagency interactions and planning, and otherwise promote and facilitate improved interagency cooperation and coordination, as necessary to ensure the timely and successful interagency implementation and completion of the project.
c. The Clean Energy Advocate shall:
(1) serve at the pleasure of the president;
(2) be employed on a full-time basis and entitled to receive a salary commensurate with the duties, responsibilities, and functions of the position; and
(3) be qualified by appropriate education, training, and prior work experience, as determined by the president, to perform the duties and functions and fulfill the responsibilities of the position. At a minimum, the person appointed to the position shall have a sufficient combination of education, training, and prior work experience to demonstrate, to the president's satisfaction, that the person has an in-depth understanding and awareness of: (a) the foundational sciences relevant to the clean energy sector; (b) the history and evolution of the clean energy sector in this State and nation, including, but not limited to, the nature and progression of scientific and technological advancements and innovations in this area; (c) the nature, parameters, and purpose of the State's de-carbonization goals, clean energy programs and initiatives, and laws, rules, and regulations governing the clean energy sector in the State; and (d) the various means, methods, and tools, such as negotiation and mediation, that may be used to develop and maintain productive, cooperative, and coordinated relationships amongst the various State agencies involved in a multi-agency project.
d. The president shall assign additional administrative and clerical staff to the Division of State Energy Services, as may be necessary to support the Clean Energy Advocate in the performance of the advocate's duties.
3. a. The Clean Energy Advocate shall annually submit, to the president, a written report identifying:
(1) the activities that have been undertaken, and the State agencies that have been contacted, by the Clean Energy Advocate in the prior year;
(2) the interagency clean energy projects that were the subject of the advocate's activities and contacts in the prior year, and the current status of each such project;
(3) any interagency issues that remain unresolved by the Clean Energy Advocate and that are, or may be, hindering the timely or successful completion of an interagency clean energy project; and
(4) the means and methods that will be employed by the Clean Energy Advocate, in the upcoming year, to facilitate the effective resolution of each unresolved project-related issue, as necessary to ensure the prompt and successful completion of each relevant project.
b. Not more than 30 days after receipt of a written report submitted pursuant to subsection a. of this section, the president shall post a copy of the report at a publicly accessible location on the board's Internet website.
4. This act shall take effect on the first day of the third month next following the date of enactment, except that the President of the Board of Public Utilities may take such anticipatory administrative action, in advance of the effective date, as may be necessary to implement the provisions of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill would require the President of the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to establish the new position of Clean Energy Advocate, and appoint a person to serve as Clean Energy Advocate, within the BPU's existing Division of State Energy Services. The purpose and duties of the Clean Energy Advocate would be to serve as a central point of contact for, proactively reach out to, engage in interagency communications with, and act as a liaison between and among, the heads and appropriate staff of State agencies that are, in any way, involved in the development or implementation of an interagency clean energy project in the State, in order to identify and resolve interagency disputes, facilitate more effective and efficient interagency interactions and planning, and otherwise promote and facilitate improved interagency cooperation and coordination, as necessary to ensure the timely and successful interagency implementation and completion of the project. The bill would require the President of the BPU to assign additional administrative and clerical staff to the Division of State Energy Services, as may be necessary to support the Clean Energy Advocate in the performance of the advocate's duties.
The Clean Energy Advocate would serve, on a full-time basis, at the pleasure of the president, would be entitled to receive a salary commensurate with the duties, responsibilities, and functions of the position, and would need to be qualified by appropriate education, training, and prior work experience, as determined by the president, to perform the duties and functions and fulfill the responsibilities of the position. At a minimum, the person appointed to the position would be required to have a sufficient combination of education, training, and prior work experience to demonstrate, to the president's satisfaction, that the person has an in-depth understanding and awareness of: (1) the foundational sciences relevant to the clean energy sector; (2) the history and evolution of the clean energy sector in this State and nation, including, but not limited to, the nature and progression of scientific and technological advancements and innovations in this area; (3) the nature, parameters, and purpose of the State's de-carbonization goals, clean energy programs and initiatives, and laws, rules, and regulations governing the clean energy sector in the State; and (4) the various means, methods, and tools, such as negotiation and mediation, that may be used to develop and maintain productive, cooperative, and coordinated relationships amongst the various State agencies involved in a multi-agency project.
The bill would require the Clean Energy Advocate to annually submit, to the President of the BPU, a written report identifying: (1) the activities that have been undertaken, and the State agencies that have been contacted, by the Clean Energy Advocate in the prior year; (2) the interagency clean energy projects that were the subject of the advocate's activities and contacts in the prior year, and the current status of each such project; (3) any interagency issues that remain unresolved by the Clean Energy Advocate and that are, or may be, hindering the timely or successful completion of an interagency clean energy project; and (4) describing the means and methods that will be employed by the Clean Energy Advocate, in the upcoming year, to facilitate the effective resolution of each unresolved project-related issue, as necessary to ensure the prompt and successful completion of each relevant project. Not more than 30 days after receipt of the written report, the president would be required to post a copy of the report at a publicly accessible location on the BPU's Internet website.
