A 804 — Requires BPU to report societal benefits charge revenues and expenditures to Governor and Legislature.*

A804 1R [First Reprint] ASSEMBLY, No.

Assemblymen ScharfenbergerScharfenberger, Karabinchak, Macurdy, Assemblywomen Brennan and KarabinchakSpeight         SYNOPSIS      Requires reportBPU ofto report societal benefits charge revenues and expenditures to beGovernor includedand inLegislature. the Governor's annual budget message.

  CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT      IntroducedAs Pendingreported Technicalby Reviewthe byAssembly LegislativeTelecommunications Counsel.and Utilities Committee on February 12, 2026, with amendments.

   An Act regarding1[regarding the contents of the Governor’s annual budget messagemessage] concerning societal benefits charge revenues and expenditures1 and supplementing Title 521[52] 481 of the Revised Statutes.

       1.    a.  In1[In addition to the requirements of section 11 of article 3 of P.L.1944, c.112 (C.52:27B-20), and any other provisions of law, the Governor’s budget message transmitted annually to the Legislature shall include a report of] In January and October of each year, the board shall report to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), the Legislature,1 the revenues and expenditures derived from the societal benefits charge setting forth in columnar form the following information, for each of the five most recently completed fiscal years and the current fiscal year:year:       (1)   the total amount of revenue collected through the societal benefits charge;

     (1)(2)   the total amount of revenuerevenues collectedretained throughby the State from the societal benefits charge;charge and allocated for demand side management programs, and including an itemized statement of all amounts committed for expenditure and expended, respectively, for energy efficiency programs, distributed energy resources, renewable energy programs, planning and administration, and other initiatives administered by the board pursuant to paragraph (3) of subsection a.

     (2) the amount of revenues retained by the State from the societal benefits charge and allocated for demand side management programs, and including an itemized statement of all amounts committed for expenditure and expended, respectively, for energy efficiency programs, distributed energy resources, renewable energy programs, planning and administration, and other initiatives administered by the board pursuant to paragraph (3) of subsection a.

of 1section of1 P.L.2007, c.340 (C.48:3-98.1);

     (3)(3)   the amount of revenues retained by the State from the societal benefits charge and allocated to the Universal Services1[Services] Service1 Fund established pursuant to subsection b.

     (4)(4)   the amount of revenues retained by the State from the societal benefits charge and allocated to the Plug-in Electric Vehicle Incentive Fund pursuant to paragraph (1) of subsection b.

and      (5)(5)   the1[the totaltotal] an itemized statement that includes the1 amount of 1societal benefits charge1 revenues retained1[retained] expended1 by each electric public utility and gas public utility,utility 1[, respectively, from each component of the societal benefits charge for which each public utility has been approved to retain by the board.board] for any program or purpose not included in paragraphs (2) through (4) of this subsection1.

     b.    The1[The board shall assist and advise the Governor in the preparation of the report required pursuant to subsection a.

     c.   c.]1  As used in this act:1[act] section1:       “Board” means the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities or any successor agency.

     “Board” means the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities or any successor agency.

    STATEMENT        This bill requires the Governor’s annual budget message to include a report of the revenues and expenditures related to the societal benefits charge.  This bill is intended to provide greater transparency regarding the amount of revenues generated by the societal benefits charge and the purposes for which these revenues are expended and allocated.

     Imposed under P.L.1999, c.23, the societal benefits charge is embedded in customer bills for electricity and natural gas service.  The charge is collected by each electric and gas public utility and remitted to the Board of Public Utilities.  The proceeds of the societal benefits charge finance energy assistance programs administered through the Universal Services Fund;

energy demand management programs, energy efficiency programs, and renewable energy programs administered through the Clean Energy Program;

energy consumer education programs;

nuclear plant decommissioning;

and manufactured gas plant remediation.

     The bill requires the report to include, for the five most recently completed fiscal years and the current fiscal year, information revenues information concerning the total revenues generated by the societal benefits charge in each fiscal year, as well as an itemized statement of the amount of societal benefits charge revenues allocated, committed for expenditure, and expended for:

(1) all energy demand management programs, energy efficiency, conservation, and renewable energy improvements;

(2) energy assistance programs supported through the Universal Services Fund;

and (3) the incentive programs supported through the Plug-in Electric Vehicle Incentive Fund.

     Current law does not establish a uniform societal benefits charge rate for all electric and gas public utilities.  Each electric and gas public utility determines, with the approval of the Board of Public Utilities, a rate for each component (i.e., utility assistance programs or manufactured gas plant remediation) to be funded through the societal benefits charge.  The bill requires the report to also include information regarding the total societal benefit charge rate, and each component of the societal benefits charge rate, for each electric and gas public utility and the amount or societal benefits charge revenue retained by each electric and gas public utility.