In 1907, the New Jersey Board of Railroad Commissioners was created and empowered to have general supervision of all railroads operating in New Jersey. Three years later, in 1910, the Board of Railroad Commissioners' name was changed to the Board of Public Utility Commissioners, and its duties were expanded by extending its regulatory jurisdiction over all public utilities. This included “…every railroad, express, street railway, traction, canal, subway, pipe line, gas, electric light, heat and power, water, sewer, telephone, telegraph…operating within the State of New Jersey for public use under privileges granted by the State.”

 

By an act signed into law in 1911 by then-Governor Thomas Woodrow Wilson, the Board’s jurisdiction, duties, and obligations were further expanded to give it the widest range of regulatory power over public utilities and their property rights, equipment, facilities, and franchises. Those provisions have remained the core of the Board’s regulatory function to this day.

 

The mission of the Board, now known as the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) and placed in but not of the Department of the Treasury, continues to be to fairly and reasonably balance the interests of utility customers and utility shareholders. That is, NJBPU's mission is to ensure the provision of safe, adequate, and proper utility service and enhance the quality of life for the citizens of New Jersey while providing utility shareholders with an opportunity to realize a fair return on their investments.

 

In addition to its core mission, NJBPU has been proactive in its efforts to protect New Jersey citizens through a variety of programs that have placed the State in the national forefront in the effort to expand energy conservation and the use of renewable energy technologies.

 

NJBPU has also responded quickly to assist in:

• fostering cogeneration under the federal Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA),
• implementing energy competition as contemplated in the State’s Electric Discount and Energy Competition Act, and
• establishing a sound program to implement the State’s Underground Facility Protection Act and the Gas Safety Act to reduce the possibilities of major incidents in New Jersey.