Listen to this articleThe basics:
- New Jersey voters increasingly concerned about rising electric and gas bills
- Polls show strong bipartisan support for new natural gas plants to help lower energy prices
- Business and utility leaders urge immediate action to expand power generation and modernize the grid
Throughout 2025, energy has been at the center of the headlines and the state’s politics. One glance at the campaign ads aired during the recently concluded gubernatorial contest will reflect that reality. Rate hikes that hit June 1 became a flashpoint throughout election season, as ratepayers got whacked by some 20% increases on their monthly bills.
A panel convened last month by NJBIZ discussed some of the key issues centered on supply and demand imbalances, as well as policies and solutions to meet the demand, traditional generation sources versus new sources, how AI fits into all of this, and what things look like in the short and long-term.
The public sentiment and consciousness about energy issues is also reflected in polling. In July, Stockton University’s William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy examined how higher energy bills were affecting New Jerseyans.
Key findings:
- 70% said their electric bills have increased significantly (38%) or somewhat (32%) over the past year
- 52% said their gas bills have increased significantly (24%) or somewhat (28%) in that time period
- 48% have had to adjust their budgets to afford their utility bills
- 47% said it has led to changes in spending habits
Responsibility for increased energy costs:
- 52% utility companies
- 47% state elected officials
- 40% large corporations or businesses
- 38% the federal government
The higher bills paid by New Jerseyans and the proliferation of campaign ads talking about the issue front-and-center has led to interesting trends, with the public paying more and more attention to the energy issue that has often taken a backseat to property taxes, affordability and other cultural issues in this state.
The FDU Poll put out two notable surveys on the topic.
An Oct. 29 poll (in partnership with the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey) found that New Jersey voters – by a 3-to-1 margin – support the construction of new natural gas plants. The issue has been a topic of great debate and political finger-pointing throughout this energy crisis.
‘A real shift in rhetoric’
In fact, both Republicans and Democrats support the construction of natural gas plants – with 64% overall expressing support and just 22% saying that the state should wait for other options. And while the support is still polarized along party lines – 89% of Republicans favor new natural gas plants, at least until other energy sources can be brought online, versus 46% of support among Democrats. But even among those Democrats, supporters outnumber those who oppose building new plants (46% to 33%).
“We’ve seen a real shift in rhetoric on natural gas plant from Democrats in the past few months,” said Dan Cassino, a professor of Government and Politics at Fairleigh Dickinson University, and the executive director of the FDU Poll. “Politicians are responding to the public, and the public wants action quickly.”
“New Jersey voters now favor building new natural gas plants by a 3-to-1 margin to help lower energy prices,” said Anthony Russo, president, CIANJ. “Pursuing an all-of-the-above energy program to increase our energy supply is the right way to go.”
Cassino noted how this is a tricky issue for Democrats – because of the cross-pressures between rejecting fossil fuels, along with focus on bringing down energy bills.
“That leads to a lot of people not sure how they’re supposed to be feeling about natural gas plants,” said Cassino.
Sherrill vows to freeze rates
In August, Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill rolled out her energy plan, which featured a freeze on utility rates. She also called for a build-out of “cheaper and cleaner” power generation – including solar and battery storage projects, expediting upgrades at existing nuclear plants, and modernizing existing natural gas facilities to make them cleaner and more efficient.
Sherrill also supported cutting red tape and permitting delays to streamline projects – requiring more transparency from the utilities. As governor, the candidate said she would instruct the state attorney general to take the Trump administration and PJM Interconnection to court to “force them to end their mismanagement and instead accelerate the development of cheaper and cleaner energy sources and connect new power generation to our grid immediately”
Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli called for an all-of-the-above strategy that included bringing three or four new natural gas power plants online, expanding the nuclear footprint in South Jersey, bringing more solar panel projects on rooftops online and exploring new technologies – but banning offshore wind along the Jersey coast. He also called for the state’s withdrawal from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and for the repeal of state mandates and timelines regarding electric vehicle sales, household appliances, home renovation and home construction. Many of those positions had been adopted by critics of the Murphy administration’s approach to energy.
What will help?
An Oct. 28 poll from FDU asked voters about policies that might help alleviate rising electricity prices (at least in the long term) and whether they supported or opposed each.
“Voters and politicians right now are flailing around for some way to fix energy prices,” said Cassino. “Just about every option has majority support, and the big message from voters is that they want Trenton to do something.”
Opinion
David Greek, managing partner of Greek Real Estate Partners, says with New Jersey’s increasingly strained power grid, “developers must now treat electricity as core infrastructure.” Read more here.
Among the most popular options was making data centers – which require a huge amount of energy and water – to pay more for electricity, with 68% of voters supporting that option (including 77% of Democrats and 56% of Republicans).
Other popular options included the construction of new natural gas plants, as well as tighter regulations of power producers and distributors (61%) and building more nuclear power plants (58%).
Cassino noted that many of these issues still break along partisan lines. “Whatever the merits of natural gas or renewables, they’ve become subsumed by partisanship,” said Cassino. “As much as people want to bring down their energy bills, they’re still putting politics first.”
‘We cannot sit around’
Also last month, the New Jersey Business & Industry Association held its Energy & Environmental Policy Forum. When asked by NJBIA President and CEO Michele Siekerka about his advice for the next governor of New Jersey, Ralph LaRossa, chair, president and chief executive officer of PSEG, said let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work.
“We cannot sit around,” said LaRossa, noting that it would take five-plus years to build a gas plant and 12-plus years to build a nuclear plant.
Mike Renna, CEO of South Jersey Industries, was asked the same question during his fireside chat with Siekerka. He echoed those sentiments about getting to work and stressed collaboration.
“New Jersey utilities can be a tremendous catalyst for growth,” said Renna. “We are one of the few industries in this state that is investing, collectively, billions of dollars a year in New Jersey’s infrastructure. And where everybody is committed to doing that going forward.”
No doubt, this is a very complex issue – and a very politically charged one – that played a central role in the election of the state’s next governor.
And the message from the public, the business community, and the state writ large is one yearning for solutions to help New Jersey families and businesses make ends meet and get a little relief from the avalanche of high costs they face.
