Sponsored by:
Assemblyman WAYNE P. DEANGELO
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
Assemblyman DANIEL R. BENSON
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
Assemblyman ROBERT J. KARABINCHAK
District 18 (Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Extends certain deadlines for completion and commercial operation of solar electric power generation facilities under certain circumstances.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning certain deadlines for completion and commercial operation of solar electric power generation facilities under certain circumstances and supplementing P.L.1999, c.23 (C.48:3-49 et al.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Notwithstanding the provisions of P.L.1999, c.23 (C.48:3-49 et al.), P.L.2021, c.169 (C.48:3-114 et al.), or any other law, rule, regulation, or order to the contrary, a qualified solar electric power generation facility that, due to a delay attributable to a tolling event, fails, or is projected to fail, to achieve project completion or commercial operation by the deadline date established by law, rule, regulation, board order, incentive program registration acceptance letter, or other approval or authorization for that facility, shall receive an automatic extension of the project completion or commercial operation deadline date established for that facility.
The extension granted pursuant to this section shall be for a period coextensive with the duration of the delay associated with the applicable tolling event. The automatic extension shall protect the qualified solar electric power generation facility from forfeiting the following:
(1) designation as connected to the distribution system;
(2) eligibility to continue to participate in the applicable solar incentive program for which application was made and conditional approval was granted;
(3) eligibility to receive the financial incentives provided by the solar incentive program for which application was made and conditional approval was granted; and
(4) any other benefit or incentive available to a qualified solar electric power generation facility conditionally approved to participate in the solar incentive program.
b. (1) To be eligible to receive the automatic extension provided by this section, the project sponsor of a qualified solar electric power generation facility shall certify in writing to the board of the occurrence of a tolling event. The certification shall describe the tolling event and the nature and anticipated duration of the delay associated with the event.
(2) Within 45 days after receipt of a certification from a project sponsor of the occurrence of a tolling event pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection, the board shall issue an unconditional order approving an automatic extension of the project deadline date or commercial operation deadline date established for the facility, whether established by law, rule, regulation, board order, incentive program registration acceptance letter, or other approval or authorization for that facility.
The order shall be issued by the board on a non-discretionary basis, and no factual investigation or hearing by the board shall be conducted. The order shall acknowledge receipt of certification of the tolling event, extend the previously established project completion or commercial operation deadline date for the facility by an amount of time coextensive with the duration of the tolling event, and provide such other and further relief as the board may deem appropriate. The board order shall be effective as of the date of the certification of the tolling event.
c. A project sponsor shall have a continuing obligation to apprise the board, on at least a quarterly basis, regarding the nature and extent of the tolling event and its anticipated duration, which requirement may be satisfied by including such information in the quarterly milestone reporting form required to be submitted to the board for the qualified solar electric power generation facility.
d. The project sponsor of a qualified solar electric power generation facility that is granted relief under this section due to the occurrence of a tolling event shall use commercially reasonable efforts to timely satisfy the remaining requirements of the applicable solar incentive program that are within the project sponsors control and whose performance has not been delayed by the tolling event.
e. Upon conclusion of the tolling event, the project sponsor shall timely resume and complete development of those aspects of the facility that were delayed by the tolling event. The project sponsor shall complete the facility and commence commercial operation within the longer of: (1) six months following the conclusion of the tolling event; or (2) the time remaining under the terms of the original conditional approval authorized prior to the occurrence of the tolling event.
f. As used in this section:
Project sponsor means a municipality, business entity, person, property owner, developer, redeveloper, or other interest that is the party pursuing the development and implementation of a qualified solar electric power generation facility under a solar incentive program administered by the board.
Qualified solar electric power generation facility or facility means a solar electric power generation facility for which a project sponsor has submitted an application for conditional approval to participate in a solar incentive program, and includes a facility that has received conditional approval from the board to participate in the solar incentive program for which application was made.
Solar incentive program means a program administered by the board which awards SRECs, transition renewable energy certificates, SREC-IIs, or other solar renewable energy certificates capable of counting towards the renewable energy portfolio standard of an electric power supplier or basic generation service provider pursuant to section 38 of P.L.1999, c.23 (C.48:3-87).
Tolling event means the action or inaction of a third party, or occurrence or circumstance that delays the timely completion or commercial operation of a qualified solar electric power generation facility, that is not within the reasonable control of the project sponsor of the qualified solar electric power generation facility, and shall be limited solely to the failure of an electric public utility or PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. to approve an application for interconnection with the utility distribution system or interstate transmission system, or to negotiate, execute, and deliver any other engineering or other studies, agreements, or approvals required by the electric public utility or PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. as a prerequisite to project interconnection or commercial operation, within such time period as would allow a project sponsor to achieve commercial operation of a qualified solar electric power generation facility pursuant to an award, authorization, or conditional approval under a solar incentive program.
Transition renewable energy certificate means the same as the term is defined in in section 2 of P.L.2021, c.201 (C.34:1B-375).
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill provides that certain deadlines for the completi