New Jersey Assembly Bill A1836

New Jersey 2024-2025 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/9/24
• Refer: 1/9/24

Caption

Requires electric, gas, and water public utilities to disseminate outage information to customers through autodialed telephone call, text message, and electronic mail alert service.

Impact

If enacted, A1836 would significantly impact how public utilities operate in New Jersey. By requiring these entities to maintain an effective communication plan, the bill would likely result in better customer service and potentially less panic during outages. Customers would benefit from timely updates, which could improve public trust in utility services and enhance overall safety during emergencies. Additionally, the bill indicates a shift toward greater accountability for utilities in managing and communicating about operational challenges.

Summary

Assembly Bill A1836 aims to enhance communication during service outages for electric, gas, and water public utilities. It mandates these utilities to develop and implement a comprehensive communication plan that utilizes autodialed telephone calls, text messages, and email alerts to inform customers about service interruptions. The plan must include detailed information such as the location and expected duration of outages, emergency contacts, and updates as conditions change. This initiative seeks to ensure that customers are promptly informed about outages, allowing them to make necessary arrangements during service disruptions.

Contention

There may be discussions regarding the implementation costs for utilities to establish and maintain these automated notification systems. While the bill enhances consumer communication, some may argue that it places an additional financial burden on utilities that could ultimately be passed down to consumers through higher service fees. Furthermore, there may be concerns about data privacy and the appropriate handling of consumer contact information, which utilities will use for the notification processes.