NJ shares press conference

NJ SHARES PRESS CONFERENCE
MARCH 5, 1998 11:15 A.M.
BPU CONFERENCE ROOM
REMARKS OF BLOSSOM A. PERETZ, RATEPAYER ADVOCATE
DIVISION OF THE RATEPAYER ADVOCATE

Good morning. And I can honestly say that this is a good morning for all of New Jersey's ratepayers -- to be able to stand here today among my colleagues to announce the kick off of New Jersey SHARES is a truly joyous occasion. I feel as a proud parent today watching a child at graduation, for I can recall when the idea of a statewide fuel fund was just an idea being tossed around the table by Michael Swayze of the New Jersey Low Income Energy Network - NJ LIEN- at various meetings exploring low income issues at our offices.

I am proud to say that our office was one of the pioneers working on the special NJ LIEN Task Force which performed the initial groundwork of studying the advisability and feasibility of establishing a statewide non-profit energy fund in New Jersey. When we sponsored a conference in June, 1996, exploring the need for a fuel fund and examining existing models in other states, little did we know that in March, 1998 we would have a champagne inauguration. Why a fuel fund? Several criteria examined by the Task Force pointed out the need for an energy fund in New Jersey:

BPU statistics revealed approximately 125,000 households in one year experienced a shut off of their energy utility service due to past due bills;
current resources, such as the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, known as LIHEAP, were experiencing constant reductions in funding;
with the changing economic climate, the population of need was expanding beyond low income families to many middle class families which found themselves in financial crisis and in need of assistance to meet their energy needs.

Looking at these factors, we saw there was a definite need to explore how all of the interested parties could expand the current resources available to address the growing energy needs of consumers. After seeing how many states were using fuel funds to offer greater assistance, including our neighbors in New York, Connecticut and Maryland, we felt that a statewide non-profit energy fund was worth exploring. I am pleased that those initial efforts have now been carried forth by the energy Fund Steering Committee to bring us all here today to bear witness to their cooperative efforts. I think we can all be proud and share in this achievement today that will offer New Jersey consumers added protection against the threat of termination of utility services, and prevention of possible energy related tragedies.

The initiation of New Jersey shares brings the advent of a new light at the end of a tunnel for those New Jersey families that find themselves experiencing a financial crisis, and having exhausted all other efforts, would face impending shutoff of their utility service. NJ SHARES will now provide that extra safety net that many families have been searching for when they reach dire straits and face brutal choices between such necessities as food on the table or adequate heat to get them through the winter.

I applaud and congratulate Michael Swayze and NJ LIEN, the non-profit agencies, and the utility companies on their joint efforts which have brought forth this dynamic and innovative public-private partnership to help alleviate the burdens of energy costs for New Jersey consumers in need of assistance. And my special thanks to my staff attorney, Lawanda Gilbert, who has worked tirelessly with Michael and all the folks at NJ LIEN to bring us here today.

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