New Jersey S 4296: Authorizes voluntary post-adoption contact agreements.

Bill Text

S4296 1R 

[First Reprint]

SENATE, No. 4296 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

INTRODUCED MAY 14, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� JOHN J. BURZICHELLI

District 3 (Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem)

Senator� BOB SMITH

District 17 (Middlesex and Somerset)

Senator� NICHOLAS P. SCUTARI

District 22 (Somerset and Union)

Co-Sponsored by:

Senators Diegnan, Tiver, Singleton and Amato

SYNOPSIS

���� �Power NJ Act�; establishes advanced nuclear energy 
procurement program in BPU. 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

���� As reported by the Senate Budget and Appropriations 
Committee on June 28, 2026, with amendments.

�� 

An Act concerning advanced nuclear energy generation and 
economic development in the State and supplementing Title 48 of the Revised 
Statutes.

���� Be It 
Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of 
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.� This act shall be known 
and may be cited as the �Powering Opportunity, Workforce, and Energy 
Reliability for New Jersey Act� or �Power NJ Act.�

����� 2.� 
a.� The Legislature finds and declares that:

����� (1)� 
Electricity consumption1, primarily driven by data center consumption, is 
increasing1 across the regional grid 1[is increasing]1 at a pace that outstrips the entry of new 
generation resources, placing the reliability of electric service at serious 
risk for customers throughout New Jersey;

����� (2)� 
The resulting 1[contraction] lack1 in available generation capacity has driven wholesale capacity market 
prices to record highs, costs that are ultimately borne by New Jersey electric 
ratepayers;

����� (3)� 
Dependable and 1[reasonably priced] 
affordable1 electric power is essential to sustaining the 
competitiveness of the State�s economy and to protecting the health, safety, 
and well-being of New Jersey residents;

����� (4)� 
Nuclear generation is inherently carbon-free and consistently achieves higher 
capacity factors than any other class of generation resource, exceeding 92 
percent on a fleet-wide basis, with certain advanced reactor designs 1potentially1 capable of operating at full rated output 98 
percent of the time;

����� (5)� 
Nuclear facilities also achieve 1[unmatched] higher1 effective load-carrying capacity, reaching 1as high as1 98 percent in summer and 96 percent in winter, 1potentially1 enabling them to deliver power to the grid reliably 
across all weather conditions and seasons;

����� (6)� 
Nuclear generating stations maintain on-site fuel supplies that confer strong 
energy security 1[, and their inherent operational characteristics 
allow continued service during severe weather events and other grid emergencies]1;

����� (7)� 
New Jersey�s nuclear generating capacity has contracted in recent years, most 
significantly following the 2018 1economic1 retirement of the Oyster Creek Generating Station, which at the time of 
its closure was the oldest operating commercial nuclear reactor in the United 
States;

����� (8)� 
A new generation of advanced nuclear reactor designs is now 1in the process of1 entering commercial development, offering 
meaningful improvements over earlier designs in the areas of safety, thermal 
efficiency, waste generation, and overall environmental performance;

����� (9)� 
Advanced nuclear generating facilities 1have the potential to1 deliver firm, 1[dispatchable,]1 zero-carbon electricity that enhances grid 
stability, supports the integration of variable renewable resources, and 
produces sustained, high-paying employment alongside wide-ranging regional 
economic benefits;

����� (10)� 
The development and construction of an advanced nuclear energy project creates 
significant economic activity for the State, generating thousands of high-wage 
jobs during the construction and development phases and a substantial number of 
permanent, skilled-trade, and professional jobs over the facility�s operational 
life;

����� (11)� 
Advanced nuclear energy development creates meaningful opportunities for New 
Jersey-based businesses across manufacturing, engineering, fabrication, and 
related supply chain sectors, and the State is well-situated to cultivate a 
domestic nuclear supply chain network 1[whose] with1 benefits 1that1 would extend across multiple industries and 
workforce segments;

����� (12)� 
Advanced nuclear energy facilities generate material and enduring tax revenues 
for the State and for the municipalities in which they are located or adjacent, 
thereby supporting local public services, infrastructure, and community 
development and providing long-term fiscal stability to host communities;

����� (13)� 
A dependable supply of 1[clean, affordable]1 nuclear power supports the State�s economic 
development objectives by making New Jersey a competitive destination for 
energy-intensive industries, including advanced manufacturing, life sciences, 
and technology companies, which require reliable, carbon-free electricity as a 
prerequisite to siting or expanding their operations; and

�����