Requires BPU to study potential deployment of advanced transmission technologies in NJ.

A1551

ASSEMBLY, No. 1551

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman CLINTON CALABRESE

District 36 (Bergen and Passaic)

Assemblyman ROBERT J. KARABINCHAK

District 18 (Middlesex)

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires BPU to study potential deployment of
advanced transmission technologies in NJ.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

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

��

An Act

requiring the Board of Public Utilities to study
advanced transmission technologies.�

Whereas,

Energy demand is projected to rise due to the buildout of data centers,
population growth, increasing electrification, and growth in domestic manufacturing,
among other factors; and

Whereas,

The nation�s transmission infrastructure is aging and inadequate to accommodate
the estimated 290 gigawatt backlog of energy generation projects sitting in PJM
Interconnection, L.L.C.�s interconnection queue; and

Whereas,

The lack of adequate transmission infrastructure contributes to grid
congestion, which costs consumers nationwide an estimated $20.8 billion in
2022; and

Whereas,

New high-voltage transmission infrastructure is critically needed but can take
up to 10 years to complete; and

Whereas,

Advanced transmission technologies can potentially offer a near-term,
cost-effective way to meet growing energy demand, reduce grid congestion, and
boost the capacity of existing transmission infrastructure; and

Whereas,

Advanced transmission technologies can typically be deployed between three
months and three years; and

Whereas,

States across the nation have advanced bipartisan legislation and adopted
policies to evaluate and promote the deployment of advanced transmission
technologies to alleviate grid congestion, increase reliability and efficiency,
and enhance grid capacity; and

Whereas,

It is in the public interest for the Board of Public Utilities (board) to study
advanced transmission technologies to evaluate their application and
effectiveness in unlocking lower-cost generation resources, reducing grid
congestion, and increasing transmission capacity for new generation; and

Whereas,

It is also in the public interest for the board to study the potential to
increase the efficiency, reliability, and safety of the electrical grid through
the deployment of advanced transmission technologies; now, therefore,

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

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

���� �Advanced transmission
technologies� or �ATT� means software or hardware technologies that increase
the capacity, efficiency, reliability, or safety of an existing or new electric
transmission facility, including:� (1) grid enhancing technologies, such as
dynamic line rating, advanced power flow controllers, and topology
optimization; (2) advanced or high-performance conductors; and (3) other
technologies designed to reduce transmission congestion or increase the
capacity, efficiency, reliability, or safety of an existing or new electric
transmission facility.�

���� �Board� means the New Jersey
Board of Public Utilities or any successor agency.�

���� �Electric public utility� or
�utility� means a public utility, as that term is defined in R.S.48:2-13, that
transmits and distributes electricity to end users in the State.�

���� b.��� The board shall conduct
a study to evaluate the potential deployment of advanced transmission
technologies by electric public utilities, which deployment shall enable the
utilities to:�

���� (1) safely, reliably,
efficiently, and cost effectively meet electric system demand; and

���� (2) provide safe, reliable,
and affordable electricity to its customers.�

���� c.��� In conducting the study,
the board shall:�

���� (1) evaluate the attributes,
functions, costs, and benefits of ATT.� In evaluating the attributes of ATT,
the board shall consider whether a particular technology:�

���� (a) increases transmission
capacity;

���� (b) increases transmission
efficiency;

���� (c) reduces transmission
congestion;

���� (d) reduces the curtailment of
generation resources;

���� (e) increases system
reliability;

���� (f) increases system
resiliency; or

���� (g) increases the capacity to
connect new energy generation resources or reduces capacity prices from new
supply;

���� (2) evaluate the potential of
each of the advanced transmission technologies studied for deployment by a
utility to provide safe, reliable, and affordable electricity to utility customers,
considering existing and planned transmission infrastructure and projected
demand growth;

���� (3) identify potential
reductions in an electric public utility�s transmission project costs and transmission
project completion timelines by deploying ATT, as compared to traditional
transmission infrastructure;

���� (4) identify potential ways to
streamline the deployment of ATT, including streamlined processes for
permitting, maintenance, and upgrades;

���� (5) evaluate policies and laws
in other states that have deregulated energy sectors, which polices and laws
concern ATT, and provide recommendations in accordance with the policies and
laws to enable and encourage the adoption of ATT in this State;

���� (6) identify processes or ways
that an end-use customer, such as an industrial or mercantile customer, can
invest in and deploy ATT in partnership with their respective utility to allow
for the more rapid deployment of ATT;

���� (7) identify how the board can
support and encourage the implementation of ATT in New Jersey through future
rulemaking or other board activities; and

���� (8) evaluate any other aspect
of ATT that the board determines will assist policymakers, utilities, utility
customers, and other stakeholders in understanding the potential role of ATT in
the transmission system serving this State and the region.

���� d.��� Pursuant to the �Senator
Byron M. Baer Open Public Meetings Act,� P.L.1975, c.231 (C.10:4-6 et seq.),
the board shall give notice of a public stakeholder meeting and invite
interested parties and members of the public to discuss the study required
pursuant to this section. �The board shall hold a minimum of two public
stakeholder meetings to review comments from stakeholders. �The board may
incorporate any information or comments received from the public stakeholder
meetings in its report required pursuant to subsection e. of this section.�

���� e.��� Within one year after
the date of enactment of this section, the board shall:�

���� (1) submit a written report to
the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to
the Legislature, with the findings of its study conducted pursuant to this
section; and

���� (2) publish the report on its
Internet website.�

���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately and shall expire upon the submission of the report required
pursuant to subsection e. of section 1 of P.L. ,
c. (C. )
(pending before the Legislature as this bill).�

STATEMENT

���� This bill requires the Board
of Public Utilities (board) to study the potential deployment of advanced
transmission technologies (ATT) by electric public utilities in the State.� In
conducting the study, the board is to:� (1) evaluate the attributes, functions,
costs, and benefits of ATT; (2) evaluate the potential of any ATT to enable an
electric public utility to provide safe, reliable, and affordable electricity
to its customers, taking certain factors into consideration; (3) identify
potential reductions in an electric public utility�s transmission project costs
and transmission project completion timelines by deploying ATT, as compared to
traditional transmission infrastructure; (4) identify potential ways to
streamline the deployment of ATT; (5) evaluate policies and laws in other
states that have deregulated energy sectors, which polices and laws concern
ATT, and provide recommendations in accordance with the policies and laws to
enable and encourage the adoption of ATT in this State; (6) identify processes
or ways that an end-use customer can invest in and deploy ATT in partnership
with their respective electric public utility to allow for the more rapid
deployment of ATT; (7) identify how the board can support and encourage the
implementation of ATT in New Jersey; and (8) evaluate any other aspect of ATT
that the board determines will assist policymakers, electric public utilities,
electric public utility customers, and other stakeholders in understanding the
potential role of ATT in the transmission system serving this State and the
region.�

���� While conducting the study,
the board is required to give notice of a public stakeholder meeting and to
invite interested parties and members of the public to discuss the study.� The
board is to hold at least two public stakeholder meetings to review comments
from stakeholders.�

���� In addition, the bill requires
the board, within one year after the bill�s date of enactment, to submit a
written report to the Governor and the Legislature with the findings of its
study.� The board is to publish the report on its Internet website.�

���� Energy demand is projected to
rise due to the buildout of data centers, population growth, increasing
electrification, and growth in domestic manufacturing, among other factors.�
Simultaneously, the nation�s transmission infrastructure is aging and
inadequate to accommodate the estimated 290 gigawatt backlog of energy
generation projects sitting in PJM Interconnection, L.L.C.�s interconnection
queue.� To address the lack of adequate transmission infrastructure, which
contributes to grid congestion, it is in the public interest for the board to
study the potential to increase the efficiency, reliability, and safety of the
electrical grid through ATT deployment.�

���� Under the bill, �advanced
transmission technologies� means software or hardware technologies that
increase the capacity, efficiency, reliability, or safety of an existing or new
electric transmission facility, including:� (1) grid enhancing technologies,
such as dynamic line rating, advanced power flow controllers, and topology
optimization; (2) advanced or high-performance conductors; and (3) other
technologies designed to reduce transmission congestion or increase the
capacity, efficiency, reliability, or safety of an existing or new electric
transmission facility.� �