Newsroom & Public Notices

Missing votes and inadequate explanations leave gaps in the public record of utility positions on regional electricity policy

TRENTON, N.J. — October 14, 2026 — As governors across the PJM region press for a greater voice in how the regional grid is run, a new summary report from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) finds that all four New Jersey electric utilities submitted incomplete and deficient reports on their PJM voting history on decisions that potentially have significant implications to ratepayers, even following BPU staff guidance and revisions.

“Customers deserve a complete record of the positions their utilities take at PJM, where decisions shape electricity costs and reliability,” said NJBPU President Ben Hertz-Shargel. “After months of guidance and revisions, all four utilities’ reports still fell short. Utilities and other industry stakeholders help shape PJM’s market pricing and transmission development with limited public transparency. These incomplete vote records underscore why states need a stronger voice to advocate for affordability. Because states are accountable to the public, they should have real influence over the decisions PJM makes.”

The report shows remaining gaps, including omitted votes, missing lower-level committee records, and inadequate explanations of whether the votes further New Jersey’s energy goals. The findings follow the October 8 Governors’ Summit on the State of PJM in Chicago, where governors formalized the PJM Governors’ Collaborative to strengthen state collaboration and efforts to secure state representation in PJM’s governance and decision-making. New Jersey is among the participating states.

All four utilities filed on time, by the February 1 deadline, but all four initial reports had the same three problems:

• Votes before the law took effect were left out. The utilities reported only votes after August 15, 2025, rather than the full 2025 calendar year. As a result, no utility provided voting information for more than half the year, despite the law’s requirement.
• Lower-level votes were left out. Each utility reported votes only in the senior and standing committees, not in the subcommittees, task forces, and other bodies where proposals take shape.
• Explanations were very limited or missing. The utilities gave little or no explanation of whether their votes advanced state goals.

The report reviews the first annual disclosures required under a 2025 transparency law, P.L. 2025, c. 129, from Atlantic City Electric (ACE), Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L), Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G), and Rockland Electric Company (RECO). The Board found compliance in this first round uniformly deficient: no utility fully complied with the reporting requirement.

The utility reports are formal filings with the Board and are public documents. The law requires the Board to combine them into an annual summary and send it to the Governor and the Legislature.

P.L. 2025, c. 129, which took effect August 15, 2025, requires each utility to report every recorded vote it or its affiliates cast at any PJM committee, task force, or similar body, and to explain whether each vote furthers the State’s goals of affordability, reliability, and sustainability. Hundreds of votes are cast at PJM each year. These reports provide a utility-specific record, including votes that PJM does not publish individually. PJM itself publishes voting reports only for its two senior committees.

Link to NJBPU report
Link to RECO report
Link to JCP&L report
Link to PSE&G report
Link to ACE report

About the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities
The NJBPU is a state agency and regulatory authority mandated to ensure safe, adequate, and proper utility services at reasonable rates for New Jersey customers. Critical services regulated by the NJBPU include natural gas, electricity, water, wastewater, telecommunications, and cable television. The Board has general oversight and responsibility for monitoring utility services, responding to consumer complaints, and investigating utility incidents. To find out more, visit www.nj.gov/bpu/.

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