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Stockton council hears county energy-aggregation plan, votes to join regional cooperative
Summary
After a presentation from Hunterdon County energy consultants, Stockton Borough Council voted unanimously to join the Hunterdon Area Energy Cooperative and authorize the mayor to sign supplier agreements if pricing is accepted by the lead agency; residents retain opt-out protections and an option for 100% renewable energy.
Stockton Borough Council on Sept. 16 heard a presentation on the Hunterdon Area Energy Cooperative and voted unanimously to join the county-run aggregation program, authorizing the mayor to sign supplier agreements should the lead agency accept competitive pricing.
Vicki Molloy, Hunterdon County’s energy consultant, explained the program’s structure: the county conducts a competitive auction among third-party suppliers to secure the supply portion of electric service while JCP&L remains the delivering and billing utility. Molloy said residents would receive notification from JCP&L and that participation includes options to permanently opt out or to pause enrollment if customers see no savings. She also described an optional 100% renewable energy supply for customers who wish to support cleaner generation.
During public comment residents asked about oversight, solar customers and potential fees. Molloy said the State of New Jersey oversees municipal aggregation programs and that only customers for whom JCP&L is both supplier and servicer are automatically enrolled; residents with behind-the-meter solar may not be automatically included. Borough Attorney Lisa Maddox said legal work is handled by the lead agency and would not impose a direct legal fee on Stockton.
The resolution adopted by the council (Resolution 2024-74) designates the Borough of Califon as the lead agency for the Hunterdon Area Energy Cooperative (HAEC) and authorizes Stockton to proceed by signing a Supplier Agreement should that lead agency accept pricing that reduces the supply portion of residential electric bills. The resolution cites the Government Energy Act (N.J.S.A. 48:3-93.1 et seq.) and the Board of Public Utilities’ implementing rules.
Council members approved the measure by roll call (Brown, Fisher, Folz, Hunt, Kozuhowski and Mann). The council and presenters said the program is intended to increase competition for generation supply while leaving distribution, billing and outage response with the existing utility.
