[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6100503,"mediaKeyId","2813358-20804029d4745840188e55012c74c4ac","parentId",2813358,"title","Board of Public Utilities urges direct bill credits, USF expansion to blunt price spike","audioSeconds",163,"startMs",867000,"endMs",1030000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2813358-20804029d4745840188e55012c74c4ac&start=867&end=1030","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2813358-20804029d4745840188e55012c74c4ac/thumbnail_867000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6100503/New-Jersey/Board-of-Public-Utilities-urges-direct-bill-credits-USF-expansion-to-blunt-price-spike","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6100503-e8847f860af71668b62e7d81d274655c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770865689&Signature=JNMpzEWP2i63RGm9Ekh1IdSDjL2A8BRIz6z~oDDfHNBDJMlLOQ9aVfIESEPDtpVPBPc3TCh4cfD0yuRBKrxIuU7MXPALo1qvTD8qs5jzVx2q7gQdad1wpBtMaG8RVgLxkI2axAXfOZtEOQk0iYfhE0Cer1ZTuFDbmL40J~UcrQ43vZtTCLVCdZi58NZECjGAsXRqCUoikzluhLn~0SPhjM6HlbKYWt-EN7UN3YPrqUzGpbmS3bHyg8ttYs1o1yPsKEAY8HQ~jTKoOawGSxu1DFSPP0TXG5YttA8goD~s7JzkbFcl7suKLXOP5pE-zRnWomDGbR8Dp2QpUphpKyRgNQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","New Jersey Legislature","date","2025-03-28T00:00:00Z","article","New Jersey’s Board of Public Utilities told a joint Senate and Assembly hearing on March 28 it is pursuing a mix of near‑term and medium‑term actions to blunt the impact of rising generation prices on households.

BPU President Christine Gould Sidovi said the agency is proposing direct residential bill credits similar to last year’s summer payment — a roughly $175 summer credit aimed at customers on the winter termination program — and is exploring additional credits funded from the Clean Energy Fund and the Solar Alternative Compliance Payment (SACP). Sidovi said the agency also released a straw proposal to expand the Universal Service Fund (USF) that provides energy assistance for households at or below 60% of state median income.

“We are looking at the Clean Energy Fund and all available resources to provide a bill credit to all residential customers,” Sidovi said, and added her agency also proposed enrolling customers via utility outreach and setting enrollment targets to expand uptake of USF assistance. She said BPU staff are preparing the next community‑solar allocation with at least a 15% minimum bill credit for subscribers, and preparing storage incentive programs to get more capacity online more quickly.

Sidovi and other BPU staff also described energy efficiency programs that the state has been running under the Clean Energy Act. The board said the first triennium of some utility‑run efficiency programs produced $600 million in estimated participant savings; it is now completing the second triennium planning cycle and designing further measures to temper demand.

Lawmakers pressed BPU for quantification: Sidovi said the prior $175 summer credit cost about $48 million and reached about 280,000 customers, and confirmed the agency is examining how much additional credit funding can be allocated from SACP and the Clean Energy Fund. Several legislators asked the board to provide clearer, electronic summaries of the relief programs so they can explain them to constituents.

While Sidovi stressed near‑term assistance, she and lawmakers also discussed longer‑range affordability levers — legacy SREC reform proposals that the board said could save ratepayers about $1 billion over several years, and the USF expansion outlined in BPU’s affordability report. Lawmakers pressed for a firm timeline for USF changes; Sidovi said stakeholder meetings are scheduled soon and the new USF year begins in October. BPU said it will provide requested budget and program details in follow‑up sessions.

What’s next: BPU and staff will continue stakeholder outreach, finalize USF rule changes and seek to accelerate community solar, storage incentives and enrollment operations; lawmakers signaled close oversight and follow‑up hearings on budget implications.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities Friday, March 28, 2025 - 10:00 AM","oneSentenceSummary","Board of Public Utilities leaders told legislators on March 28 they are proposing direct bill credits, expansion of the Universal Service Fund and faster deployment of community solar and storage incentives to reduce the effect of higher electricity prices this summer.","taxTitle","2025 Legislative Sessions, New Jersey","taxId",77696,"location","New Jersey","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6100507,"PJM capacity auction spikes spur urgent lawmaker, regulator scrutiny",5453,315000,5768000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2813358-20804029d4745840188e55012c74c4ac&start=315&end=5768","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2813358-20804029d4745840188e55012c74c4ac/thumbnail_315000.jpg","/articles/6100507/New-Jersey/PJM-capacity-auction-spikes-spur-urgent-lawmaker-regulator-scrutiny","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6100507-57fd435bd51a2daa747fbca4908dfe77/orig.mp4?Expires=1770865689&Signature=LRdOZVX2QmVwr4Rpj~OGZEG5I7b9BFsfxMRGFoKcZhdfBydSw1VqqqLxTRUGVlt9lqkZAfX1fxFcU5Vo3JvmqUAM3ZqhhAIBC2XwwxhQ9-qeYJmTWwm8RIfuQ5cXktS1mROs59HWVv73XGedCF~qhVcxmzbpaGNH~uaUGxx6loRi0FZk0op2G7I6km9yR5mIAZw6DXy4IrR~7h59deUuDPII~PNgjHxsiodbQPe9XOdZ8vhLf65i-P7jh7M1PIOQtlH3-EYgCNEkGDSADzq1N4Y1gxoRRwotXi~HQ1zwyDD2uovGo0YTvG0pPUCu63r2m3SRFIRpDF1ZIfumj3X-zg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lawmakers from New Jersey’s Senate and Assembly pressed PJM Interconnection and state energy officials on March 28 over a sharp increase in capacity-auction prices that will raise household electric bills this summer. PJM officials and independent witnesses said a mix of market-rule changes, unexpectedly large demand growth and delays in connecting new supply to the grid combined to push the most recent auction results sharply higher.

PJM senior vice president Asim Haq said the region’s long period of low demand and low prices left little “wiggle room” when forecasted demand jumped. He and other witnesses said the biggest recent demand drivers have been large data-center projects and faster-than-expected electrification. “When demand increases and supply decreases, not only does that mean we are headed towards a reliability challenge, but it also means prices go up,” Haq told the committees.

PJM’s market monitor and several state witnesses argued that the spike was not only supply-and-demand economics. Brian Lipman, director of New Jersey’s Division of Rate Counsel, cited the PJM market monitor’s report that said design and market-power issues amplified the most recent price signal and that some market rules contributed materially to the high clearing price. Lipman and others cited ongoing court and regulatory filings that seek to limit the near-term auction clearing price and prompt rule changes.

New Jersey’s Board of Public Utilities President Christine Gould Sidovi and PJM both described recent steps to blunt the impact on consumers: a governor-led FERC filing and court action to cap the next auction, administrative filings to change how certain resources are treated in the auction, and a PJM proposal to open a “reliability resource” lane to prioritize shovel‑ready resources. Gould Sidovi said the FERC‑directed changes would reduce projected rate impacts but warned that prices overall will still be higher than in prior low-price years.

Witnesses repeatedly urged faster interconnection of projects already in PJM’s queue. PJM said it has advanced large volumes of new-generation and storage projects through queue reforms but acknowledged a backlog remains; PJM officials called for accelerated transmission planning and more state-level transparency about large new loads. Independent analysts said storage and projects already cleared through interconnection are the most realistic short-term additions to reduce prices in the next 18–36 months.

Lawmakers pressed PJM for clearer data about who bid into the auction and the identity and size of demand commitments (notably data centers) that have reshaped short‑term load forecasts. PJM said its stakeholder process and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission govern how market rules change and that multistate coordination is necessary because the grid and markets span many jurisdictions.

What’s next: PJM and state officials said they will continue to pursue both market-rule reforms and practical steps to connect cleared projects. Lawmakers signaled they will press for more state‑level transparency on project queues, transmission planning and steps to shield low‑income customers from immediate price shocks.","Lawmakers from the New Jersey Senate and Assembly on March 28 pressed PJM Interconnection and state officials after a recent capacity auction produced a steep price increase that will raise customer bills this summer.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6100498,"Backlog of interconnection requests, transmission constraints and data centers tied to short‑term reliability strain",4832,1392000,6224000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2813358-20804029d4745840188e55012c74c4ac&start=1392&end=6224","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2813358-20804029d4745840188e55012c74c4ac/thumbnail_1392000.jpg","/articles/6100498/New-Jersey/Backlog-of-interconnection-requests-transmission-constraints-and-data-centers-tied-to-shortterm-reliability-strain","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6100498-a46de49515d503f3cbac7ec7d8b72712/orig.mp4?Expires=1770865689&Signature=NJhU1KYdFBA4bhqBjM~EnczY8ATULQJMio-v8axUWVXX8~XIXAuFFD3tgTyNedVIew6PNaZeisTimqUx0BFOCVFhegZUYeDLDCxJ4O5y3M416TJ3jUA-RE7V44TToxqkiITjBTaci9ggeKtX-2momkqUgLSl6enXHLRWZfTjtZUTSZfSfaMhSX0QdWBOnybIMywmrtPelhFSXqheK0QUD3cBVvY09YaACxypOfMfDOPnzCfkpIFcdL-tkfzkkDIaVQ47ihMlSHVhvkbTQL1WXSq92kvdRTlHLOGWZcXGtDWO7pC~1EqFM2q51S2xB~7JhdJUWhIeJ0p8wDZS5ZJdPw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Legislators said March 28 they are concerned that a congested interconnection queue and limited transmission capacity will constrain the state’s ability to add generation fast enough to meet rising demand, including from large data centers. PJM, the Board of Public Utilities and energy-sector witnesses described a multi‑faceted set of constraints and near‑term options.

PJM’s Asim Haq and other witnesses said long delays in interconnection studies and the need for transmission upgrades have slowed construction of new capacity even when projects are proposed. PJM said it has advanced tens of gigawatts through revised queue rules and opened a special “reliability resource” application window to priorize shovel‑ready, high‑reliability resources; PJM reported it received 94 applications (about 27 GW) in that window.

BPU President Christine Gould Sidovi described rulemaking already underway: proposed grid‑modernization rules, a first set of interconnection‑process changes focused on transparency and capacity‑hosting maps, and a second round covering infrastructure‑upgrade allocation. She said currently the costs to upgrade local distribution or transmission for a developer fall either on the project or ultimately on utility customers, and that the board is exploring ways to coordinate planning and cost allocation with counties and municipalities.

Witnesses recommended near‑term emphasis on projects that can be deployed quickly — notably storage and solar projects that already cleared key interconnection steps — and on demand‑side options. Several lawmakers urged requiring large commercial users (data centers) to provide financial commitments and contractual guarantees before being counted in official load projections, and suggested conditioning data‑center approvals on bringing on dedicated generation or storage to avoid shifting costs to residential ratepayers.

Lawmakers also raised offshore wind uncertainty and whether state and federal policy assumptions about future offshore generation remain realistic. Witnesses said offshore wind has a favorable reliability profile but many projects have not reached construction; multiparty coordination and transmission planning remain essential to integrate large, offshore and onshore resources.

What’s next: PJM will continue queue reforms and accept reliability‑resource applications; New Jersey’s BPU will pursue grid modernization rules and interconnection reforms. Several legislators said they will pursue statutory gating criteria and transparency requirements for large new loads and revisit transmission approval oversight.","Witnesses at the March 28 hearing described a multi‑year backlog of projects waiting to connect to PJM and urged faster grid modernization and transmission planning. PJM, BPU and independent analysts said storage and projects already cleared through interconnection offer the most realistic short‑term capacity; lawmakers discussed requiring large","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board of Public Utilities urges direct bill credits, USF expansion to blunt price spike

PJM capacity auction spikes spur urgent lawmaker, regulator scrutiny

Backlog of interconnection requests, transmission constraints and data centers tied to short‑term reliability strain