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Bill

Bill

A 1836

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

2024-2025 Regular Session Introduced by Aura Dunn and 2 co-sponsors

New Jersey utilities must notify customers of outages via phone calls, text messages, and email simultaneously to ensure rapid public communication during service disruptions.

Introduced in the Assembly, Referred to Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee
#communicatio #publicutil #telephone
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Bill Summary · A 1836

Legislative bill overview

Bill A 1836 mandates that New Jersey's electric, gas, and water utilities notify customers of service outages through three communication channels: automated phone calls, text messages, and email alerts. The bill standardizes outage notification procedures across these essential utility services.

Why is this important

Outages can pose serious risks to public safety and economic activity, making timely customer notification critical for emergency response and household planning. Currently, utilities may use inconsistent notification methods, potentially leaving vulnerable populations—elderly residents without email access or those without cell service—unable to receive warnings.

Potential points of contention

  • Implementation costs: Utilities may argue that mandating three simultaneous notification channels increases infrastructure expenses, potentially passed to consumers through rate increases
  • Technical feasibility: Some smaller utilities or rural areas may lack the infrastructure to reliably deliver all three alert types simultaneously
  • Privacy concerns: Requiring email and text collection could raise data privacy questions about how customer contact information is stored and protected, and whether opting out of notifications is permitted

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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