A bill advancing through the New Jersey legislature would require state utility regulators to give hospitals and other healthcare facilities priority when restoring power after a storm, according to an article on the WBGO website.
About a third of the nursing care and assisted living facilities in the state lost power during Superstorm Sandy.
Electric companies say healthcare facilities are already among the first customers they consider when getting service back to normal after an extended outage, but some New Jersey lawmakers want regulations enacted to make sure that happens.
The Assembly passed the legislation in June. It’s awaiting final legislative approval in the Senate.