2022 has been a year of change and reflection. NJUA’s member companies have continued to exemplify the best of New Jersey, investing countless time and energy into improving the lives of those we serve. Across the state, improvements in our infrastructure and a commitment to addressing top customer needs have continued to take precedence.

While looking to the future, we also took time to reflect on the past. October marked the ten-year anniversary of Superstorm Sandy. This life-altering event changed our views on how to handle 100-year storms. New Jersey’s investor-owned utilities took the lessons learned from Sandy and proactively moved to make our state safer.

As we head toward the final week of 2022, we hope the holidays bring you joy and a chance to spend quality time with loved ones.

NJUA Works With Committee Chairman On Amendments To Remote Net Metering Bill

In October, NJUA worked with the EDCs and Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities Chairman Wayne DeAngelo on amendments to the Chairman’s bill that would revise the criteria for the remote net metering program established by the Board of Public Utilities. The Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities Committee amended the bill to provide that electric public utilities would be entitled to full and timely cost recovery for all costs incurred in the implementation of or compliance with the remote net metering program, including the full value of all credits provided to participating customers. The amendments also remove a provision of the bill, which permitted more than one public entity to collectively act as a host customer for a solar energy project, and also amended the bill to require each solar energy project to be metered separately.

NJUA Participates in Governor’s ARPA Hearing & Submits Written Comments

In August, NJUA’s Christina Farrell participated in the Governor’s hearing on ARPA funding where she advocated for as much ARPA funding as possible to be allocated toward paying down utility arrearages. Farrell noted that this can and should be done without a customer having to apply for assistance programs. NJUA also used this as an opportunity to highlight how its members have and will continue to provide assistance and promote programs that help customers in need. NJUA stressed that assistance from the State is necessary in order to make a significant impact in helping struggling customers and reiterated that the ARPA funding has provided New Jersey with the means to resolve the utility arrearages that are currently pending.

NJUA Invited to Speak at Assembly Hearing on the 10th Anniversary of Superstorm Sandy

On October 6^th, Christina Farrell spoke at the Assembly Environment and Solid Waste & the Assembly Special Committee on Infrastructure and Natural Resources’ joint committee hearing observing the ten-year anniversary of Superstorm Sandy. Farrell was invited to specifically speak to the utilities’ communications improvements that have been made post-Sandy for customers and local officials, as well as utility infrastructure improvements and investments made post-Sandy. During the hearing, she highlighted member companies’ continued commitment on investing in modernizing and storm hardening their infrastructure by providing examples of utility infrastructure investments that have garnered tangible benefits in recent storms. Farrell also detailed utility communication improvements that have been made and how the utilities engage both customers and local officials during and after storms.

Each newsletter we will profile NJUA members and give us all an opportunity to learn a little more about one another. We are changing it up a little this time and hope you enjoy learning more about Dianne Solomon, NJBPU Commissioner, Jim Fakult, President of New Jersey Operations at Jersey Central Power & Light, and Ryan Callan Farrell, newest addition to NJUA’s Christina Farrell’s family.

Where did you grow up?

Melrose Park, PA.

Any siblings, spouse, children, pets?

I am one of five children and my husband Lee and I have three of our own.

What drew you to becoming a BPU Commissioner?

I became immersed in the energy field when my husband served as President of the BPU. He encouraged me to accept the position of Commissioner when I was lucky enough to receive the offer from Governor Christie.

What accomplishments, either personal or at the BPU, are you most proud of?

Many years before I became a commissioner and inspired by the special needs and challenges of my oldest son, I worked to establish an inclusive camp program for the Jewish Community of Southern New Jersey. When I arrived at the BPU, NJ and its Utilities were recovering from a series of storms the last of which was Superstorm Sandy. I believe that the efforts of the Board to restore and harden our utility infrastructure served to limit damages from future events.

What were some of the biggest challenges facing the BPU in 2022?

Balancing our clean energy goals with our responsibility as regulators to ensure reliable service at reasonable rates.  Our task has been made much more difficult due to the pandemic and current economic conditions.

What are you most looking forward to in the year ahead? 

The arrival of my first grandchild!

What is your current Netflix obsession/what book are you reading?

I have been in a book club for 32 years with a fantastic group of women and we are currently reading The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell.  

If you were only allowed to listen to one singer/band for the rest of your life, who would it be?

Impossible to pick one as variety is the spice of life but I am partial to songs/music with strong harmony.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up outside of Cleveland, Ohio, in a town called Euclid. I went to college at Cleveland State University (BBA in Marketing) and received my MBA at Ashland University in Ohio.

Any siblings, spouse, children, pets?

I am the second of four siblings and am married with six children ranging from 19 to 28 years old. Five of my children still live in NJ and one is living and working in Salt Lake City, Utah. Three of my children have graduated from college, two are still in college and one is in the trades. I’m proud of their work ethic and career paths. As everyone knows, each child is so different and unique and mine are no different with an artist, a nurse, a technical sales rep, two engineers-in-training and an electrician. We also have three dogs that were rescued that really run the house and keep us on our toes!

How did you get into this field?

I started in the utility industry right out of college, in the sales and marketing department. I always had a fascination and interest in the electric industry so when Ohio Edison recruited at our college, I was eager for the opportunity! Working with our customers to begin my career was a great opportunity to understand the industry from our customers perspective and the overall “ecosystem” of the utility industry. After I started with Ohio Edison, I helped lead a series of development opportunities, which led to promotions through customer service/experience, operations and into my current role.

What accomplishments, either personal or company/organizational, are you most proud of?

One professional, one personal - when I joined JCP&L almost 10 years ago, we had just gone through Hurricane Irene and Superstorm Sandy. We had many challenges and I’m proud of how our entire team rallied around the challenges, the criticism and opportunities to improve our system, our reputation and, most importantly, our service to our customers. I’ve always felt that if we keep our customers and communities in the forefront, we would be successful. On a personal level, I’m proud to see my family and children grow and be successful in spite of the many challenges they faced, including multiple moves, schools, and the pressures that come along today.

What were some of the biggest challenges your company/organization faced this year?

COVID has caused significant adversity and hardships for so many and has caused quite a few challenges over the past nearly three years, as we work out of the pandemic into the new “normal” operations. Fortunately, we have a dedicated team that has performed incredibly well during such difficult and uncertain times. 

What are you most looking forward to in the year ahead?

I am very excited to support and invest in the many initiatives we are planning or have only recently started to roll out, such as AMI (smart meters), Energy Efficiency, promoting EV and expanding charging infrastructure, and continuing to invest in a number of customer-facing reliability and resiliency projects. We are also very excited to begin preparing our grid to connect the off-shore wind-generated power, as we were awarded a significant piece of the work in this area.

What is your current Netflix obsession/what book are you reading?

My “obsession” in my spare time is watching college sports, especially college football and basketball. I also particularly enjoy college women’s basketball, maybe because my daughter attends the University of South Carolina and they have a terrific team, but also I enjoy the team aspect of this sport. I’ve also read several good leadership books recently, such as Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Be Where Your Feet Are by Scott O’Neil.

If you were only allowed to listen to one singer/band for the rest of your life, who would it be?

This is a hard decision as I feel I grew up at a great time for music junkies! Would have to be Genesis, either with Peter Gabriel or Phil Collins as the lead.

When were you born?

I was born on Sunday, November 20 and me, my mom and my dad are doing great.

What are you most looking forward to in the year ahead? 

Probably a little crawling, maybe some walking and talking and the occasional good nap.

For further information on NJUA, please visit www.njua.com or follow us on Twitter @NJUtilities. You can contact our office at 609-392-1000 or by emailing csweeney@njua.com.