a. The Board of Public Utilities and the positions of president and commissioners thereof, designated as such pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1977, c. 146 (C. 52:27F-1 et seq.), are continued and designated as the Board of Public Utilities and the president and commissioners thereof in but not of the Department of the Treasury. Notwithstanding this allocation, the board shall be independent of any supervision or control by the Department of the Treasury or by any officer thereof, and, unless otherwise expressly provided by law, the board shall be independent of any supervision or control by the Division of Energy Planning and Conservation in the Department of Commerce, Energy and Economic Development or by any officer thereof. The Department of Civil Service shall not reclassify any title or position transferred from the Board of Public Utilities pursuant to this act without the approval of the board. The president and commissioners of the Board of Public Utilities shall be appointed in the manner, and shall receive such salaries as shall be provided by law.

b. All functions, powers and duties now vested in the Board of Public Utilities in the Department of Energy and in the positions of president and commissioners thereof are transferred to and assumed by the Board of Public Utilities in the Department of the Treasury and the president and commissioners thereof.

c. Whenever in any law, rule, regulation, order, contract, document, judicial or administrative proceeding or otherwise, reference is made to the Board of Public Utilities in the Department of Energy, the same shall mean and refer to the Board of Public Utilities in the Department of the Treasury.

L. 1987,c.365,s.9.