Assembly committee amends and releases three utility bills, including interconnection changes for storage and smart‑meter notice rules

The Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities Committee amended and released three bills covering interconnection rules for energy resources, targeted utility fee relief and customer bill notifications.

On Assembly Bill 4513 and its identical counterpart Senate Bill 3308 (first reprint), the committee adopted amendments to define "energy storage facility," clarify grid services compensation, require that utilities provide an initial feasibility study within 90 days of a complete interconnection application, clarify applicant responsibilities for line extensions, and align rulemaking timelines. After roll call, committee members voted to amend and release the bills; the clerk recorded the action as "The bills are amended and released."

The committee then considered Assembly Bill 4815 and Senate Bill 286, which permit certain local units and authorities to reduce water, sewer and stormwater fees for low‑income persons and clarify recovery mechanisms for utilities. The committee amended the bills (removing a prior appropriation among other changes) and released them following roll‑call voting.

Finally, the committee reviewed Assembly Bill 4817 and Senate Bill 3621 establishing an energy bill‑watch program for utilities with smart meters and mandating specified customer notifications (including a requirement to notify customers by the 10th and 20th day of a billing cycle in certain circumstances). The New Jersey Utilities Association opposed the unamended bill on technical and implementation grounds and proposed amendments; members debated opt‑in vs. opt‑out approaches and whether usage comparisons should be year‑over‑year rather than month‑over‑month. The committee ultimately released the bills as amended after procedural votes and a brief recorded roll call.

Roll calls and committee actions taken at the hearing are reflected in the committee record.