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BPU approves multiple settlements, rate changes and program rules; votes at a glance
Summary
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities on Nov. 21 approved a series of settlements, rate adjustments, program-authority actions and pilot rules — including a PSE&G gas-main replacement program, Atlantic City Electric rate stipulations, a JCP&L refund directive and agrivoltaics pilot rules — and authorized funding for DEP’s electric school bus program.
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities on Nov. 21 adopted a package of orders and stipulations that the board and staff said will advance infrastructure work, consumer protections and several clean-energy initiatives.
Board staff said the most consequential approvals included a stipulation authorizing Public Service Electric & Gas Co. (PSE&G) to invest $1.05 billion from January 2026 through December 2028 to replace at least 525 miles of leak‑prone gas mains as part of its Gas System Modernization Program (GSMP 3). Staff estimated the cumulative monthly bill impact for an average residential customer using 1,040 therms a year would be about $4.32 by the program’s end. The board voted to approve the stipulation.
Staff also presented and the board approved a set of Atlantic City Electric (ACE) items. A provisional change to ACE’s Non‑Utility Generation, Clean Energy Program and uncollectible-account components was approved on a provisional basis subject to refund; staff said the earlier provisional change led to an expected monthly decrease of about $3.75 for a typical residential customer. In a separate base‑rate matter, the parties reached a settlement that lowered the initially requested $120 million increase to a net revenue requirement of $54 million with an agreed return on equity of 9.6%; staff estimated the settlement would raise a typical residential customer’s bill by about $6.77 per month. The board directed ACE to file revised tariffs by the dates set in the orders.
On consumer‑facing administrative items, the board directed Jersey Central Power & Light to conduct reconciliations and issue refunds where individual refund amounts exceed $25 and to apply donations to payment‑assistance programs where refund amounts would have been less than $25, addressing overcharges tied to an incorrect tax gross‑up factor.
The board also approved a settlement for Mid‑Atlantic Offshore Development LLC (Mayard) relating to a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission formula rate filing; the settlement includes a proposed base return on equity of 9.88% and terms covering depreciation and capital structure. Board staff recommended agreeing to the terms presented to the board.
Other votes taken or approved included: - Adoption of amendments and proposed substantial changes to interconnection rules intended to lower queue friction for distributed energy resources. - Approval of a Universal Service Fund administrative cost budget request of $11,560,199 for fiscal year 2026, which staff said supports outreach and local subgrantee processing and that the USF provided monthly credits to roughly 225,000 households last year. - Approval of a no‑cost, six‑month transition extension for the existing EV program administrator contract while the newly selected program administrator transitions, and authorization to execute a memorandum of understanding to fund the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s third year of a legislatively mandated electric school bus program.
Board officials and staff said the actions balance near‑term consumer effects and longer‑term infrastructure, reliability and clean‑energy goals. The meeting record shows roll calls accompanying each formal vote; the motions listed in staff recommendations were carried on the record.
The board closed its session with holiday remarks and adjourned.
