Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE
                                SENATE, No. 3556
                             STATE OF NEW JERSEY
                              220th LEGISLATURE
                                             DATED: JUNE 1, 2023
                                                  SUMMARY
    Synopsis:                   Establishes new position of Clean Energy Advocate in BPU to
                                facilitate coordination and cooperation among various State agencies
                                in association with implementation of interagency clean energy
                                projects.
    Type of Impact:             An annual State expenditure increase.
    Agencies Affected:          Board of Public Utilities.
                                       Office of Legislative Services Estimate
    Fiscal Impact                                                     Annual
    State Expenditure Increase                                 $243,000 to $362,000
    The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) estimates that this bill will result in an annual
     increase in State expenditures of between approximately $243,000 and $362,000 for the Board
     of Public Utilities (BPU) to establish the new position of Clean Energy Advocate and for
     additional support staff.
                                            BILL DESCRIPTION
    This bill would require the BPU to establish the new position of Clean Energy Advocate within
its existing Division of State Energy Services. The purpose and duties of the Clean Energy
Advocate would be to serve as a central point of contact for State agencies that are involved in an
interagency clean energy project in the State in order to facilitate more effective and efficient
interagency interactions to ensure the timely and successful implementation and completion of the
project. The bill would require the BPU to assign additional administrative and clerical staff to
the Division of State Energy Services as may be necessary to support the Clean Energy Advocate
in the performance of the advocate’s duties.
    The bill would require the Clean Energy Advocate to annually submit a written report to the
BPU identifying: (1) the activities that have been undertaken, and the State agencies that have been
contacted, by the Clean Energy Advocate in the prior year; (2) the interagency clean energy
      Office of Legislative Services                                    Legislative Budget and Finance Office
           State House Annex                                                    Phone (609) 847-3105
              P.O. Box 068                                                       Fax (609) 777-2442
      Trenton, New Jersey 08625                                                  www.njleg.state.nj.us
                                               FE to S3556
                                                    2
projects that were the subject of the advocate’s activities and contacts in the prior year, and the
current status of each such project; (3) any interagency issues that remain unresolved by the Clean
Energy Advocate and that are, or may be, hindering the timely or successful completion of an
interagency clean energy project; and (4) the means and methods that will be employed by the
Clean Energy Advocate, in the upcoming year, to facilitate the effective resolution of each
unresolved project-related issue. Not more than 30 days after receipt of the written report, the
BPU would be required to post a copy of the report at a publicly accessible location on its website.
                                        FISCAL ANALYSIS
EXECUTIVE BRANCH
    According to informal information provided by the BPU, the baseline salary for a new position
of a Clean Energy Advocate would be $115,000 plus benefits.
OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES
    The OLS determines that that this bill will result in an annual increase in State expenditures of
approximately $185,000 for the BPU to establish the new position of the Clean Energy Advocate,
inclusive of fringe benefits, and between $58,000 and $177,000 for additional support staff. The
total annual cost to the State would be between $243,000 and $362,000. The OLS assumes that
between 0.5 and 1.0 full-time equivalent employees would be required to fulfill the support staff
duties as required under the bill. The OLS determines that the salary cost of a part-time employee
would range between $58,000 and $177,000, inclusive of fringe benefits. If the number of support
staff needed is higher or if the employee salary falls below or above this estimated range, this fiscal
estimate would change accordingly.
    The OLS notes that the Clean Energy Advocate would be responsible for annually submitting
a written report to BPU. The OLS assumes that preparation of this report would be subsumed
within the duties of the Clean Energy Advocate. The bill also requires the Clean Energy Advocate
to proactively reach out to and engage with State agencies involved in interagency clean energy
projects. This engagement may require the advocate to attend meetings and conduct site visits,
potentially incurring additional costs such as travel expenses.
  Section:      Environment, Agriculture, Energy, and Natural Resources
  Analyst:      Neha Patel
                Senior Fiscal Analyst
  Approved:     Thomas Koenig
                Legislative Budget and Finance Officer
This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67 (C.52:13B-6 et seq.).