On March 25, Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey's (CCSNJ) Manager of Government Affairs, Hilary Chebra, provided comments at the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) Stakeholder Meeting on the Energy Master Plan’s (EMP) Ratepayer Impact Study.

In her testimony, Ms. Chebra noted that the CCSNJ supports the clean energy goals of the EMP, however transparency in cost is essential to ensuring the success of the plan’s implementation – a point the CCSNJ has been making to the Administration prior to the EMP’s completion in 2020. She stated that that while the Ratepayer Impact Study would examine the EMP’s impact on customer energy bills, it falls short of providing the business community with a comprehensive assessment of the costs associated with implementing the EMP and achieving its ambitious goals.

Ms. Chebra went on to say that a full analysis of all capital costs should be included in the Study to give residents, as well as the business community, a clear picture of total cost. For example, instead of simply focusing on the change to the ratepayer’s monthly bill, the Study should also assess the costs associated with required equipment upgrades or replacements, as well.

The CCSNJ looks forward to continuing to weigh in on the EMP’s implementation as the Administration furthers its goals, while respectfully encouraging the state to prioritize providing the Plan’s cost estimate as soon as possible.