In Re Petition of Nj American Water Co.

The opinion of the Court was delivered by

VERNIERO, J.

This appeal involves a final decision of the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) in respect of a rate petition filed by the New Jersey American Water Company (American Water). ' Within the context of that petition, the Division of the Ratepayer Advocate (Ratepayer Advocate) challenges the policy of the BPU that permits a utility to include half of its charitable contributions as operating expenses for purposes of calculating its service rates. Under that policy, a utility’s ratepayers subsidize fifty percent of the utility’s charitable…