Requires BPU to publish third-party energy supplier information on its Internet website; establishes public awareness campaign on retail choice.

S3272

SENATE, No. 3272

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 2, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� CARMEN F. AMATO, JR.

District 9 (Ocean)

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires BPU to publish third-party energy supplier
information on its Internet website; establishes public awareness campaign on
retail choice.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act

concerning public information on third-party
energy suppliers 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
P.L. , c.
(C. ) (pending before the
Legislature as this bill):�

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

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

���� �Electric public 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.

���� �Gas public utility� means a
public utility, as that term is defined in R.S.48:2-13, that distributes gas to
end users within the State.

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

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

���� 2.��� a.� The Board of Public
Utilities shall examine the Internet websites of public utility regulatory
bodies in other states with deregulated energy sectors to determine which state
has the most helpful and user-friendly information for electric public utility
customers and gas public utility customers looking to exercise their right to
retail choice.

���� b.��� No later than 90 days
after making its determination pursuant to subsection a. of this section, and
on a quarterly basis thereafter, the board shall publish on its Internet
website information concerning electric power suppliers and gas suppliers that
do business in the State to allow electric public utility and gas public
utility customers to exercise their right to retail choice in an informed
manner.� The information required pursuant to this subsection shall:�

���� (1)�� be compiled in a similar
format and of a similar composition to the information included on the website
of the state selected as a model website by the board pursuant to subsection a.
of this section;

���� (2)�� educate the public in
plain language on the benefits of exercising retail choice through an electric
power supplier or gas supplier; and

���� (3)�� be published in a
user-friendly manner.

���� 3.��� The Board of Public
Utilities shall establish a public awareness campaign to educate electric
public utility and gas public utility customers on:�

���� a.���� the benefits of
exercising retail choice; and

���� b.��� how to utilize the
information pertaining to electric power suppliers and gas suppliers, as
updated pursuant to section 2 of P.L. ,
c. (C. )
(pending before the Legislature as this bill), on the board�s Internet website.

���� 4.��� The Board of Public
Utilities shall adopt, pursuant to the �Administrative Procedure Act,�
P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), any rules and regulations that may be
necessary to implement the provisions of this act.

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

STATEMENT

���� This bill requires the Board
of Public Utilities (board) to examine the Internet websites of public utility
regulatory bodies in other states with deregulated energy sectors to determine
which state has the most helpful and user-friendly information for electric
public utility customers and gas public utility customers looking to exercise
their right to retail choice.� No later than 90 days after making this
determination, and on a quarterly basis thereafter, the board is to publish
information on its Internet website concerning electric power suppliers and gas
suppliers that do business in the State, which information is required to:� (1)
be modeled off the information published on the website of the state selected
by the board under the bill; (2) educate the public in plain language on the
benefits of exercising retail choice through an electric power supplier or gas
supplier; and (3) be published in a user-friendly manner.�

���� In addition, the bill requires
the board to establish a public awareness campaign to educate electric public
utility and gas public utility customers on:� (1) the benefits of exercising
retail choice; and (2) how to utilize the information pertaining to electric
power suppliers and gas suppliers, as updated pursuant to the bill�s
provisions, on the board�s Internet website.

���� In New Jersey, since the
enactment of the �Electric Discount and Energy Competition Act� in 1999,
electric public utility and gas public utility customers have had the ability
to exercise retail choice by selecting their own electric power supplier or gas
supplier.� However, according to the board�s Internet website, as of February
2025, only 6.2 percent of the State�s residential electric public utility
customers and 2.5 percent of the State�s residential gas public utility
customers obtain their energy supply through an electric power supplier or gas
supplier.� With this bill, the sponsor intends to better educate the public on
its right to exercise retail choice.