Title 48, Title 48: PUBLIC UTILITIES

48:2-29.44. Findings, declarations relative to electric public utility service 1. The Legislature finds and declares that: a. During periods of excessive heat, the health of individuals with disabilities, senior citizens, and others can be severely compromised if those individual…

48:2-29.45 Provision of continued electrical service during periods of excessive heat 2. Notwithstanding any law, rule, order or regulation to the contrary, the board shall provide for the continuation of electrical service during periods of excessive heat,as determined by the bo…

48:2-29.46. Rules, regulations 3. The board shall promulgate, in accordance with the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), such rules and regulations as may be necessary to effectuate the purposes of this act. L.2002,c.62,s.3.

48:2-29.47 Prevailing wage requirement, construction undertaken with BPU financial assistance. 1. Not less than the prevailing wage rate shall be paid to workers employed in the performance of any construction undertaken in connection with Board of Public Utilities financial assi…

48:2-29.48 Definitions relative to electric public utility service discontinuances. 1. As used in P.L.2019, c.154 (C.48:2-29.48 et seq.): "Board" means the Board of Public Utilities or any successor agency. "Electric public utility" or "utility" means a public utility, as that te…

48:2-29.49 Annual request for information by electric public utility. 2. a. An electric public utility shall request from every residential customer, on a semi-annual basis, information, determined by the board, as to whether the residential customer, or any person living at the …

48:2-29.5. Regulating deposits by customers to secure payment for services; interest on deposits The board may adopt rules and regulations prescribing the terms and conditions under which public utilities may require the deposit of moneys to secure the payment by customers of suc…

48:2-29.50 Liability for payment of bill balance. 3. A medical customer who does not pay in full an electric public utility bill on or before the date the bill is due shall be liable for any bill payment balance for service rendered by the utility, in accordance with a utility's …

48:2-29.51 Customer outreach plan. 4. The board shall direct each electric public utility to develop a customer outreach plan, subject to board approval, that shall inform customers of the process for qualifying as a medical customer pursuant to P.L.2019, c.154 (C.48:2-29.48 et s…

48:2-29.52 Excuse from compliance. 5. An electric public utility shall be excused from compliance with the provisions of section 2 of P.L.2019, c.154 (C.48:2-29.49) in the event of an emergency or if, despite compliance by the utility with the requirements of section 2 of P.L.201…

48:2-29.53 Rules, regulations. 6. Notwithstanding any provisions of the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), the board shall, within 180 days after the enactment of P.L.2019, c.154 (C.48:2-29.48 et seq.), adopt rules and regulations implementing t…

48:2-29.54 Definitions relative to public utilities. 6. As used in sections 6 through 8 of P.L.2021, c.317 (C.48:2-29.54 through C.48:2-29.56): "Board" means the Board of Public Utilities or any successor agency. "Public utility" means a public utility, as defined pursuant to R.S…

48:2-29.55 Winter Termination Program, inclusions. 7. Within 120 days of the effective date of P.L.2021, c.317 (C.40A:5A-28 et al.), the Board of Public Utilities shall include each sewer and water public utility in the board's Winter Termination Program as established by the boa…

48:2-29.56 Rules, regulations. 8. The board shall promulgate rules and regulations, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), to effectuate the purpose of sections 6 and 7 of P.L.2021, c.317 (C.48:2-29.54 and C.48:2-29.55). L. 2021, c.3…

48:2-29.56a Utility assistance programs, updating public information. 3. a. Upon the effective date of P.L.2022, c.4 (C.48:2-29.56a at al.), the Department of Community Affairs, Department of Human Services, Board of Public Utilities, and any other State agency that administers a…

48:2-29.56b Summer Termination Program, New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, definitions. 3. a. For the purposes of this section: “Board” means the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. “Program” means the Summer Termination Program established pursuant to subsection b. of this …

48:2-29.57 Definitions. 1. As used in P.L.2022, c.107 (C.48:2-29.57 et seq.): "Board" means the Board of Public Utilities or any successor agency. "Coronavirus 2019" means the coronavirus disease 2019, as announced by the World Health Organization on February 11, 2020, and first …

48:2-29.58 Report to Governor, Legislature; effect of Coronavirus 2019 pandemic on utility service; Department of Community Affairs. 2. a. The Board of Public Utilities, in consultation with the Department of Community Affairs, shall prepare and submit, within 30 days after the c…

48:2-29.59 Quarterly report; utility service, customer data. 3. a. Not more than 30 months after the effective date of P.L.2022, c.107 (C.48:2-29.57 et seq.), the board, in consultation with the department, shall collect and compile in a report, on a quarterly basis, information …

48:2-29.60 Automatic enrollment into utility bill payment assistance for certain eligible individuals, households. 1. a. For the purposes of P.L.2025, c.387 (C.48:2-29.60), “ongoing assistance” means assistance, including monetary assistance, provided to recipients of a needs-bas…

48:2-3. Office; director of office management; meetings The board shall have a principal office and such other offices in such place and places as the Governor in writing may designate, and shall be provided with all necessary furniture, stationery, maps, supplies and office appl…

48:2-3.1. Principal office; filing of copy of designation Upon the designation by the Governor of the principal office of the Board of Public Utility Commissioners pursuant to section 48:2-3 of the Revised Statutes, the board shall file in the office of the Secretary of State a c…

48:2-30. Requisition of sum required for payments for services; reservation When any contract is made by the board for professional or expert services for the purposes of carrying out any of the provisions of this chapter, the board shall make requisition on the state comptroller…

48:2-31. Balance of reserve; disposition If the work called for by the contract mentioned in section 48:2-30 of this title is not completed during the fiscal year in which the contract is made, the balance of the sum reserved by the comptroller on account of the contract shall re…

48:2-32. Board rules to govern; single member may sit All hearings and investigations before the board or any member thereof or any hearing examiner designated by the board shall be governed by rules adopted by the board. Neither the board nor such member or hearing examiner shal…

48:2-32.1. Hearing examiners; authority; rules and regulations; compensation The Board of Public Utility Commissioners may by order in writing designate its secretary, assistant secretaries, counsel, executive officer, assistant executive officer, any director or assistant direct…

48:2-32.2. Municipal, county rights of intervention; notice a. Every municipality may intervene alone or jointly with another municipality or municipalities in any hearing or investigation held by the board, which involves public utility rates, fares or charges, service or facili…

48:2-32.2a. Applicability of notification procedures The specific notification procedures set forth in this amendatory and supplementary act shall apply to any hearing or investigatory function involving: a. Any adjustment of public utility rates, tolls, fares or charges, or sche…

48:2-32.2b. Complementary requirements This amendatory and supplementary act shall not be construed as limiting notice requirements, per se, to the hearings and investigations set forth in section 3 hereof but, rather, shall be construed as complementing any other public utility …

48:2-32.3. Public passenger transportation service; changes or curtailment; notice Whenever a State agency shall schedule public hearings relating to proposed changes or curtailment of public passenger transportation service, such hearings shall be conducted in the county or coun…

48:2-32.4. Hearing in affected municipality Prior to granting a public utility a proposed adjustment which would result in an increase in individual rates, joint rates, tolls, charges or schedules thereof, the Board of Public Utilities or the Office of Administrative Law shall ho…

48:2-32.5. Definitions For purposes of this act: a. "Geographic region" means one of the following regions of the State: the southern region encompassing the counties of Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Ocean and Salem; the central region encompassi…

48:2-32.6 Public hearings. 2. a. (1) The provisions of any other law, rule, regulation, or order to the contrary notwithstanding, the board, or the Office of Administrative Law acting pursuant to subsection (c) of section 10 of the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 …

48:2-32.7 Final decision or order. 3. a. The board shall adopt a final decision or order with respect to an application under section 2 of P.L.1983, c.454 (C.48:2-32.6) at a public meeting, in accordance with subsection (d) of section 10 of the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L…

48:2-32.8 Advance notice of public meeting available on public document search system. 3. a. Notwithstanding the provision of written advance notice of at least 48 hours, but otherwise in conformity with the other provisions of the "Senator Byron M. Baer Open Public Meetings Act,…

48:2-32.9 Discussion with interested parties on policy matters. 4. a. Members of the Board of Public Utilities may engage in a discussion with interested parties on policy matters, which discussions shall not be considered prohibited ex parte communications; provided that nothing…

48:2-33. Witnesses; production of documents; oaths; subpoenas The board may compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of tariffs, contracts, papers, books, accounts and all other documents. Any member of the board or any hearing examiner designated by the board to pre…

48:2-34. Depositions The board may, in any investigation or hearing, by its order in writing, cause the deposition of witnesses residing within or without the state to be taken in such manner as it may by rule prescribe.

48:2-35. Compelling witness to testify or produce documents; contempt If a person subpoenaed to attend before the board or a member thereof fails to obey the command of the subpoena without reasonable cause, or if a person in attendance before the board or a member thereof refuse…

48:2-36. Self-incrimination; immunity from prosecution No person shall be excused from testifying or from producing any book, document or paper in any investigation or inquiry by or upon a hearing before the board or any member thereof when ordered so to do by the board or member…

48:2-36.1. Requiring utility to submit data relevant to inquiry or investigation by board The board may by order in writing require any public utility to compile from its accounts, books, records, documents, and papers and submit to the board any data, material and relevant to an…

48:2-37. Corporations and persons owning or controlling public utility stock; compelling production of records and attendance of witnesses The board, or any member of the board, may compel by service of its subpoena the production of the books, accounts, records, contracts and ot…

48:2-38. Evidence by member or employee in civil suit No member or employee of the board shall be required to give testimony or to furnish documents in a civil suit to which the board is not a party, with regard to information obtained by him in the discharge of his official duty…

48:2-39. Fees of witnesses The fees of witnesses required to attend before the board shall be at the same rates as are prescribed by law for attendance under subpoena in the Superior Court of the State. Amended by L.1962, c. 198, s. 23.

48:2-4. Duties of secretary The secretary or in his absence an assistant secretary shall keep full and correct minutes of all the transactions and proceedings of the board and perform the other duties required of him. He shall be the official reporter of the proceedings of the bo…

48:2-40 Issuance of order; effective dates; service; posting on Internet; rehearing. 48:2-40. a. A majority vote of the board shall be necessary to the issuance of an order. b. (1) After the effective date of P.L.2011, c.63, the board shall issue every order in written form. (2) …