Translator Disclaimers
For Immediate Release: Contact: Peter Peretzman
Date: 01/7/2021 609-900-5626

Trenton, N.J.—The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) today announced a new series of quarterly public comment meetings designed to provide members of the public and interested parties an opportunity to speak directly to Board Commissioners on matters of public interest within the Board’s jurisdiction.

 

“These quarterly meetings will further increase the Board’s transparency and accessibility and give the public a forum where they can express concerns directly to the Board, which is especially important now when so many are working remotely due to COVID-19,” said NJBPU President Joseph L. Fiordaliso. “This new forum will ensure that the Commissioners can hear directly from the public and will allow the Board to be even more effective in delivering upon our mission and Governor Murphy’s critical clean energy goals.”

 

The first of these quarterly public comment meetings will occur virtually on January 29 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The topic of the first meeting will be the State’s electric utilities’ response to Tropical Storm Isaias and the Board’s resulting comprehensive report. Included in the report were recommendations for the utilities to further refine their preparations and response protocols for the next storm, citing areas such as: electric utility communications and outreach for customers and public officials; enhanced vegetation management in targeted areas; tracking and valuing infrastructure hardening and resilience projects; and reports and other metrics.

 

The January 29 meeting will be chaired by President Fiordaliso. Parties who wish to speak at the meeting must register by 5:00 p.m. ET on January 22, 2021 via the following link: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_3yavNfVbSSm0JDjuuABk7A. Note that this registration link should only be used by members of the public who wish to speak at the meeting.

 

Those attendees who do not wish to speak at the meeting do not need to register. They may attend the meeting virtually by watching the livestream via the following link on January 29: https://youtu.be/SoLnyluqdGQ. Further details about the January 29 meeting are available in the Public Notice.

 

These public comment meetings will be held in addition to the dozens of topic-specific public meetings that NJBPU routinely conducts each year on matters of public policy. The quarterly meeting topics will be chosen based on those that have received significant public interest based on outreach to the Board. Future dates for the new quarterly public comment meeting series will be announced in the coming weeks.

 

 

About the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU)

NJBPU is a state agency and regulatory authority mandated to ensure safe, adequate and proper utility services at reasonable rates for New Jersey customers. Critical services regulated by NJBPU include natural gas, electricity, water, wastewater, telecommunications and cable television. The Board has general oversight and responsibility for monitoring utility service, responding to consumer complaints, and investigating utility accidents. To find out more about NJBPU, visit our website at www.nj.gov/bpu.

  

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