Sponsored by:
Senator VIN GOPAL
District 11 (Monmouth)
Senator STEVEN V. OROHO
District 24 (Morris, Sussex and Warren)
Senator PAUL A. SARLO
District 36 (Bergen and Passaic)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senators Ruiz, O'Scanlon and Connors
SYNOPSIS
Prohibits State from mandating electric heating or water heating systems.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning certain electric heating and water heating systems and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Notwithstanding any other law, or rule or regulation adopted pursuant thereto, to the contrary, the Department of Community Affairs, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Board of Public Utilities, and any other State agency shall not adopt rules or regulations that mandate the use of an electric heating system as the sole or primary means of heating buildings in the State, including but not limited to, residences or commercial buildings.
b. Notwithstanding any other law, or rule or regulation adopted pursuant thereto, to the contrary, the Department of Community Affairs, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Board of Public Utilities, or any other State agency shall not adopt rules or regulations that mandate the use of an electric water heating system as the sole or primary means of providing hot water to buildings in the State, including but not limited to, residences or commercial buildings.
c. Nothing in this section shall be construed to abrogate or modify the ability of a State agency or a private entity to implement a program to incentivize the voluntary installation or use of electric heating systems or electric water heating systems.
d. Nothing in this section shall be construed to abrogate or modify the ability of a person to utilize an electric heating system as the sole or primary means of heating a building, or to utilize an electric water heating system as the sole or primary means of providing hot water to a building.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would prohibit the Department of Community Affairs, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Board of Public Utilities, or any other State agency from adopting rules and regulations that mandate the use of electric heating systems or electric water heating systems as the sole or primary means of heating buildings or providing hot water to buildings, including but not limited to, residences or commercial buildings.
Notwithstanding the bill’s prohibition on mandating the use of electric heating or electric water heating systems, the bill would not prohibit a State agency from offering incentives for the voluntary installation or use of an electric heating or electric water heating system. In addition, the bill would not prohibit a person from installing or using an electric heating system as the sole or primary means of heating a building or an electric water heating system as the sole or primary means of providing hot water to a building.