TRENTON, NJ – New Jersey residents were slapped with a 20% energy price hike in July. That rate hike was in the works for months and announced on February 12th, just days after President Trump was sworn into office for a second term.
Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill, who is running for governor in New Jersey however, continues to lie to voters, claiming that the price hike is President Trump’s fault. Sherrill’s campaign hinges on selling one big beautiful lie.
Blaming President Trump for New Jersey’s energy crisis.
Last year, rates increased 8%. Next year, they are increasing at least 5%. Energy prices have soared in New Jersey under Governor Phil Murphy’s eight-year stint, highlighted by a series of failed offshore wind energy blunders and closures of existing energy production sources in the state.
New Jersey used to be an energy importer, but under Governor Murphy, the state now relies on expensive out-of-state delivery imports.
The fight over New Jersey’s rising energy bills boiled over again Friday as Rep. Mikie Sherrill doubled down on her claim that President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” is responsible for the state’s soaring utility costs — a statement Republican Jack Ciattarelli has dismissed as false and politically motivated.
In a newly released video, Sherrill argued that the Trump-backed legislation led to an average $240 increase in annual household energy bills. She also placed part of the blame on PJM Interconnection, the regional grid operator that manages electricity for multiple states, claiming that its “failures” tacked on an additional $400 per year for New Jersey customers. According to Sherrill, these combined factors are major contributors to the financial strain households are now feeling.
There’s just one problem. These rate hikes came long before Donald Trump was re-elected as president, and Mikie Sherrill and the Democrats know that.
A poll this week confirmed what we all knew. Most New Jersey residents blame Governor Phil Murphy for the rate hike. They also blame the governor for the state’s failed reliance of offshore wind energy and the closure of multiple nuclear and natural gas energy plants.
“This isn’t about partisan politics,” Sherrill said in the video. “It’s about calling out the policies and mismanagement that have directly raised costs for New Jersey families.”
But Ciattarelli, the former state Assemblyman and 2021 Republican gubernatorial candidate, quickly fired back. In his own recorded statement, he accused Sherrill of trying to “shift blame away from herself and Trenton Democrats” and described her remarks as “a masterclass in finger-pointing and fiction.”
Ciattarelli insisted that New Jersey’s energy price spikes are a direct result of state-level decisions championed by Democrats — including offshore wind projects, electric vehicle mandates, and restrictions on new natural gas infrastructure. He argued these initiatives have reduced in-state energy generation capacity, leaving New Jersey increasingly dependent on importing electricity from other states like Pennsylvania, which he says drives up costs for consumers.
“Your energy prices aren’t going up because of some regional nonprofit you’ve never heard of,” Ciattarelli said, referring to PJM. “They’re going up because Phil Murphy, Mikie Sherrill, and Trenton Democrats were obsessed with failed offshore wind farms, unrealistic EV mandates, and banning affordable energy sources like natural gas.”
The Republican also mocked Sherrill’s past enthusiasm for offshore wind development, referencing a column where she compared it to the light bulb as one of New Jersey’s greatest innovations. “Who says that?” Ciattarelli asked in the video.
As part of his own vision, Ciattarelli vowed to end offshore wind projects if elected governor, reinvest in nuclear energy, and restore natural gas expansion as part of what he called a “balanced and affordable” energy strategy. “The days of excuses and blame are over,” he said. “It’s time to fix our state’s energy policy and deliver safe, clean, and sustainable energy at a price people can afford.”
New Jersey’s energy debate has been amplified by concerns over supply stability, climate policy mandates, and the pace of renewable energy adoption. Offshore wind development — a central point of contention — has faced setbacks, including the cancellation of planned projects and questions over economic viability. Meanwhile, environmental advocates argue that long-term investment in renewables is essential to reducing carbon emissions, even if it comes with short-term cost pressures.
For Sherrill, spotlighting Trump’s legislation and PJM’s operational decisions allows her to focus attention on external forces beyond Trenton’s control. For Ciattarelli, hammering offshore wind and EV mandates provides a direct line of attack on state Democrats ahead of the next gubernatorial contest.
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Key Points
- Mikie Sherrill blames Trump legislation and PJM for annual energy bill increases of up to $640 in New Jersey
- Jack Ciattarelli calls her claims false, blaming state policies like offshore wind projects and EV mandates for higher costs
- Energy prices have become a focal point in the state’s political fight over renewable policy, infrastructure, and affordability
