New Jersey Residents Favor Natural Gas for Energy, Survey Finds
Springfield, NJ – With New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy pushing to replace gas-powered cars, appliances, and equipment with electrical power, a new survey shows that most residents disagree with him.
A significant majority of New Jersey residents have shown a strong preference for using natural gas to heat their homes and power their appliances. A survey conducted by Affordable Energy for New Jersey earlier this month involved nearly 1,200 registered voters in the state, revealing that 76 percent view natural gas favorably. Additionally, 67 percent of those surveyed prefer natural gas over electricity for their energy needs.
The survey highlighted that 61 percent of respondents are against the mandatory transition from natural gas to electric heating for all homes. Ron Morano, the executive director of Affordable Energy for New Jersey, commented on the survey results, emphasizing the disconnect between state regulators, legislators, and the residents’ energy preferences. He advocated for energy policies that offer reliable, affordable, and practical choices instead of costly mandates.
Further findings from the survey included residents’ resistance to the potential cost increase associated with sourcing 100 percent of the state’s power from wind and solar energy, which an Energy Information Administration calculation suggested could quadruple monthly expenses. Nearly 80 percent of those surveyed opposed this potential hike.
Additionally, about 60 percent of New Jersey residents are against the use of millions in taxpayer dollars to halt natural gas pipeline projects. The survey also shed light on the preferred primary energy sources among residents, with natural gas, solar, and nuclear leading the preferences. Each of these sources garnered approximately 22 percent of the preference share, followed closely by 21 percent favoring nuclear energy and 20 percent undecided. Wind energy was the least preferred, with only 6 percent favoring it.
These survey results are a call to the Board of Public Utilities to reconsider the state’s Energy Master Plan, taking into account the clear support for natural gas from New Jersey residents.