Requires electric public utilities to provide training, equipment, indemnity, and reimbursement to certain municipal employees for moving and securing detached, above-ground distribution lines impeding vehicular traffic during lengthy power outages.

S3847

SENATE, No. 3847

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MARCH 10, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� ANTHONY M. BUCCO

District 25 (Morris and Passaic)

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires electric public utilities to provide
training, equipment, indemnity, and reimbursement to certain municipal
employees for moving and securing detached, above-ground distribution lines
impeding vehicular traffic during lengthy power outages.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act

concerning certain electric public utility
operations 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 Board of
Public Utilities or any successor agency.

���� �Distribution line� means a
primary electric voltage line, wire, or cable, including supporting structures
and appurtenant facilities, which delivers electricity from transformation
points on the transmission system to points of connection at a customer�s
premises, and is not considered a transmission line.

���� �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 within this State.

���� �Major emergency event� means
a natural or humanly caused occurrence arising from conditions beyond the
control of the electric public utility, including but not limited to, a
thunderstorm, earthquake, tornado, hurricane, flood, heat wave, snowstorm, or ice
storm, which results in: �a sustained service interruption to at least five
percent of the customers within an operating area

or at least five

percent of the

utility�s
customers within

a municipality or county

located in an operating area;

or the declaration of a state of emergency or disaster by the State or by the
federal government.

���� �Municipal emergency
management coordinator� or �coordinator� means the person appointed pursuant to
section 8 of P.L.1953, c.438 (C.App.A:9-40.1).

���� �Operating area� means a
defined geographical service territory where an electric public utility
distributes electricity to end users as approved by the board.

���� �Service interruption� means
the cessation of electric public utility service by one or more customers.

���� �Transmission line� means an
electrical line, wire, or cable, including the supporting structures and
appurtenant facilities, which transmits electricity from a generating plant to
electric distribution lines with a rating usually exceeding 69 kilovolts.

���� 2.��� a.� The board shall
adopt rules and regulations, pursuant to the �Administrative Procedure Act,�
P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.) and consistent with federal law,
requiring each electric public utility to submit to the board a plan for the
electric public utility�s response to a major emergency event.� The board�s
rules and regulations shall require the electric public utility to:�

���� (1)�� properly train each
municipal emergency management coordinator and any public works employee or
other employee of a municipality designated by the governing body of a
municipality located within the electric public utility�s operating area, to
receive the necessary certification under any applicable industry code or
national electric industry practice, to move a disconnected, above-ground
distribution line impeding vehicular traffic and protect the line from doing
harm to life or property, and to provide those designated municipal employees
with any necessary equipment to move and protect the distribution line and
communicate on a real-time, two-way basis, with the electric public utility,
until an electric public utility employee reattaches the distribution line;

���� (2)�� indemnify, and if
requested by the municipality, defend the municipality and those designated
municipal employees against all claims made by any person for injuries or
damages that may be caused or sustained by those designated municipal
employees, during the course, or as a result, of moving a disconnected,
above-ground distribution line impeding vehicular traffic and protecting the
line from doing harm to life or property; and

���� (3)�� reimburse a
municipality, as applicable, at a rate of no less than half of those designated
municipal employees� hourly wage rate, or the cost of the provision of services
by any employee who is a volunteer equal to the rate for volunteer services
under any applicable assistance program administered by the federal government,
for the amount of time spent by the those designated municipal employees in
moving and protecting the distribution line.

���� b.��� Any plan submitted by an
electric public utility shall be subject to board review and approval.� In the
event that the board disapproves a plan, the board shall provide, in writing,
the electric public utility its reasons for disapproval.� If the board fails to
approve or disapprove of the plan within 60 days of receipt of the plan, it
shall be considered approved by the board.� Each electric public utility shall
file a copy of an approved plan with the board.

���� 3.��� This act shall take
effect immediately but remain inoperative for 60 days following the date of
enactment.

STATEMENT

���� This bill requires an electric
public utility (utility) to submit to the Board of Public Utilities (board) a
plan for the utility�s response to a major emergency event, which plan is to
require the utility to: �(1) properly train each municipal emergency management
coordinator (coordinator) and any public works employee, or other employee of a
municipality designated by the governing body of a municipality located within
the utility�s operating area to receive the necessary certification under any
applicable industry code or national electric industry practice, to move a
disconnected, above-ground distribution line impeding vehicular traffic and
protect the line from doing harm to life or property, and to provide those
municipal employees with any necessary equipment to move and protect the
distribution line and communicate on a real-time, two-way basis, with the
utility, until a utility employee reattaches the distribution line; (2)
indemnify, and if requested by the municipality, defend the municipality and
those designated municipal employees against all claims made by any person for
injuries or damages that may be caused or sustained by those designated
municipal employees during the course or as a result of moving a disconnected,
above-ground distribution line impeding vehicular traffic and protecting the
line from doing harm to life or property; and (3) reimburse a municipality, as
applicable, at a rate of no less than half of those designated municipal
employees� hourly wage rate, or the cost of the provision of services by any
employee who is a volunteer equal to the rate for volunteer services under any
applicable assistance program administered by the federal government, for the
amount of time spent by the those designated municipal employees in moving and
protecting the distribution line.

���� The bill requires any plan
submitted by a utility to be subject to board review and approval.� In the
event that the board disapproves a plan, the board is to provide the utility,
in writing, its reasons for disapproval.� If the board fails to approve or
disapprove of the plan within 60 days of receipt of the plan, the plan is to be
considered approved by the board.� Each utility is required to file a copy of
an approved plan with the board.