Grid Modernization
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (“NJBPU” or “Board”) hereby gives notice of a series of public meetings to collect stakeholder input on the current distribution grid interconnection policies and process, and potential improvements that will enable faster grid modernization and higher levels of distributed energy resource (DER) absorption.
All meetings in the series start with a brief presentation by NJBPU Staff recapping the State of New Jersey Grid Modernization (“GridMod”) initiative and activities to date, with an emphasis on their relation to strategies outlined in the 2019 NJ Energy Master Plan. The sessions then feature specific presentations and a facilitated comment collection that will be used in a formalized NJBPU Proceeding at the conclusion of the series. The aim is to facilitate a guided discussion on recognition of existing barriers, estimate economic impacts of alternative reform paths, and ultimately build the broadest consensus on aligned measures that can remove or reduce the biggest barriers to grid modernization.
The public meetings were held at the dates, times, and manner shown below. Meeting materials and video recordings are available on the links below. To receive information on this topic, please subscribe to the Renewable Energy listserv.
| Meeting Date and Time | Agenda Focus |
| Feb 10, 2023 (1PM-5PM EDT) | Initial Rules Proposal Review A Rules Proposal was noticed and issued and reviewed with stakeholders on a Zoom call, with comments taken during the meeting. Meeting Materials: Notice, Presentation and Webinar Recording |
| Oct 26, 2021 (9AM-12PM EDT) | Grid Modernization Context This meeting presented research findings and best practices on state rules, regulations, and processes which govern the grid interconnection application, review, and approval workflow. Meeting Materials: Presentation and Webinar Recording |
| Nov 16, 2021 (9AM-12PM EST) | Stakeholder Data/Comment Ingestion This meeting facilitated direct feedback from public stakeholders on their experiences with current processes, ideas for improvement and innovation, success stories, and other relevant input. Meeting Materials: Presentation and Webinar Recording |
| Jan 14, 2022 (9AM-1PM EST) | EDC Readout - Collaborative Alignment This meeting opened with summary comments from each of the electric distribution companies ("EDCs") on their current baseline process, historical data from key research questions, and then proceeded to a structured conversation on priority topics raised from previous stakeholder sessions. Meeting Materials: Presentation and Webinar Recording |
| Jan 28, 2022 (9AM-1PM EST) | Non-EDC Readout - Collaborative Alignment Discussion topics covered technical, financial, and procedural issues regarding the current grid interconnection process. Staff requested presentations from non-EDC stakeholders that covered a diversity of project size, technologies, and organization types and that represent a diversity of opinions, constituencies, and business models. Meeting Materials: Presentation and Webinar Recording |
| June 27, 2022** (9AM-12PM EST) | Draft Report Review and Comment This meeting will present the Draft Report of findings and recommendations that will be made public prior to the meeting. This session is designed to elicit comments that will inform the Final Report production. Meeting Materials: Presentation, Webinar Recording and Poll Results |
All comments must be received on or before 5:00 p.m. EDT on July 19, 2022**.
**Date revised April 20, 2022. See the public notice for more information.
Members of the public may file written comments after any of the meetings regardless of whether they participate in the public meeting process. Please submit comments directly to Docket No. QO21010085 as detailed in the public notice. Comments are considered “public documents” for purposes of the State’s Open Public Records Act and any confidential information should be submitted in accordance with the procedures set forth in N.J.A.C. 14:1-12.3. Written comments, including questions regarding the stakeholder process, may also be submitted to:
Aida Camacho-Welch
Secretary of the Board
44 South Clinton Avenue, 1st Floor
Post Office Box 350
Trenton, NJ 08625-0350
Phone: 609-292-1599
Email: board.secretary@bpu.nj.gov