Establishes "Community Power Storage Program."

A1064

ASSEMBLY, No. 1064

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman WAYNE P. DEANGELO

District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes "Community Power Storage
Program."

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

An Act
establishing �Community Power Storage Program� and
supplementing Title 48 of the Revised Statutes.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� a. �As used in this
section:

���� �Board� means the Board of
Public Utilities.

���� �Electric public utility�
means the same as the term is defined in section 3 of P.L.1999, c.23
(C.48:3-51).

���� �Energy storage project� means
any technology capable of converting electrical energy to some form of stored
energy for reconversion to electrical energy at a later time and that is
connected to the State�s electric distribution and transmission systems.

���� b.� No later than 210 days
after the date of enactment of P.L.��� , c.���� (C.������� ) (pending before
the Legislature as this bill), the Board of Public Utilities shall adopt,
pursuant to the �Administrative Procedure Act,� P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et
seq.), rules and regulations establishing a "Community Power Storage
Program" to permit customers of an electric public utility to participate
in an energy storage project that is located remotely from their properties but
is within their electric public utility service territory to allow for a credit
to the customer's utility bill that is greater than or equal to the electricity
discharged to the electric distribution and transmission system that is
attributed to the customer's participation in the energy storage project.

���� c.� The rules and regulations
to be developed by the board shall establish, at a minimum:

���� (1) a capacity limit for
individual energy storage projects to a maximum of five megawatts per project;

���� (2) a goal for the conditional
registration of 250 megawatts of energy storage projects prior to June 1, 2026
and an additional 250 megawatts per year thereafter for a total program goal of
2,000 megawatts of energy storage projects.� The board shall accept and approve
registrations pursuant to this paragraph until the earlier of December 31, 2034
or such time as the 2,000 megawatts of energy storage projects are completely
registered.

���� (3) geographic limitations for
energy storage projects and participating customers, prioritizing projects in
urban areas and existing unoccupied industrial sites in the State;

���� (4) a minimum number of
participating customers for each energy storage project;

���� (5) the value of the credit on
each participating customer's bill;

���� (6) the provision of access to
energy storage projects for low- and moderate-income customers;

���� (7) standards to ensure the
ability of residential and commercial customers to participate in energy
storage projects, including residential customers in multifamily housing;

���� (8) standards for connection
to the distribution and transmission system of an electric public utility; and

���� (9) provisions to minimize
impacts to the distribution and transmission system of an electric public
utility.

���� d.��� The board shall make
available on its Internet website information concerning energy storage
projects that are seeking participants.

���� e.��� The board shall
establish standards and an application process for owners of energy storage
projects who wish to be included in the Community Power Storage Program.� The
standards for the Community Power Storage Program shall include, but need not
be limited to, a verification process to ensure that the energy storage
projects are discharging an amount of energy that is greater than or equal to
the amount of energy that is being credited to its participating customer's
electric utility bills pursuant to this section, and consumer protection
measures.� Projects approved by the board shall have at least two participating
customers.

���� f.���� Subject to review by
the board, an electric public utility shall be entitled to full and timely cost
recovery for all costs incurred in implementation and compliance with this
section.

���� g.���
The
board shall prepare and submit an annual report to the Governor, and to the
Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), on the
effectiveness of the pilot program and make recommendations to amend, extend,
or make permanent the program.

���� 2. This act shall take effect
immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill establishes the
�Community Power Storage Program.�� Specifically, the Community Power Storage
Program is intended to permit customers of an electric public utility to
participate in an energy storage project that is located remotely from their properties
but is within their electric public utility service territory to allow for a
credit to the customer's utility bill greater than or equal to the electricity
discharged to the electric distribution and transmission system that is
attributed to the customer's participation in the energy storage project.�

���� The bill provides the Board of
Public Utilities (board) the authority to establish rules and regulations in
order to effectuate certain requirements set forth in the bill.� The bill also
requires the board to make available on its Internet website information on
energy storage projects whose owners are seeking participants.� Under the bill,
the board is required establish certain standards and an application process
for owners of energy storage projects who wish to be included in the Community
Energy Storage Program.� Finally, the bill allows an electric public utility,
subject to review by the board, to recover the all costs incurred in the
implementation and compliance with the bill.