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Mount Arlington hears JCP&L on rising energy costs, smart meters and solar
Summary
JCP&L told Mount Arlington officials that New Jersey has become a net importer of electricity, contributing to higher Basic Generation Service rates; the utility also described smart meters and said a $60 state-directed rebate will go to customers while residents asked about backup generators and local solar fields.
Robert Flynn of Jersey Central Power & Light told the Mount Arlington Borough Council on July 8 that New Jersey is now a “sole importer State,” a shift he said has helped push up Basic Generation Service rates as local generation stations have closed and demand has grown.
Flynn, during a presentation and public Q&A, said monthly consumer bills separately list usage and provider charges and that “the majority of the consumer's bill is the usage.” He described smart meters as devices that “are reading the service lines into your home,” saying the meters detect outages by monitoring service to the house. He also confirmed that a $60 rebate he discussed would go to every customer in line with the State’s directive.
Residents asked how smart meters would interact with home backup generators. Ryan Laue asked whether a home on a backup generator would still trigger an outage notification; Flynn replied the meters detect service at the line into the house and would therefore register whether the utility service is present.
Council questions focused on the long-term supply picture. Councilman Cangiano asked which factors drive Basic Generation Service auction rates; Flynn pointed to the state’s declining in-state generation and rising consumption from industrial and multiunit buildings. Councilwoman Galate asked whether closed generation stations might be reopened; Flynn said many have been torn down and redeveloped and that utilities are pursuing infrastructure upgrades at substations to improve reliability.
Mayor Stanzilis framed the issue as a statewide policy challenge, saying New Jersey’s Green Energy Master Plan has led to closure of generation capacity and increased imports. He cautioned that such shifts carry risks if alternative capacity is not in place, noting concerns about fuel-source trade-offs.
The council also discussed a local solar field on Berkshire Avenue. Borough Attorney Matthew Jessup said the solar field does not feed borough buildings directly; its power is sold to the supplier JCP&L uses in the area and the supplier has not approved additional solar projects at this time.
Flynn said JCP&L is petitioning the state to restore funding for certain energy-efficiency programs and urged interested parties to use JCP&L’s website to apply for evaluations; he noted the prior program funding came from the state Board of Public Utilities and that those funds have been exhausted.
The presentation and materials are available on the borough website, and council members heard public questions about smart meters, local solar use, and whether new generation capacity will be built in the state.
