Sherrill warns clean energy will drive up bills as NJ voters demand relief
Trenton, NJ — Rep. Mikie Sherrill, now running for governor, is telling New Jersey residents to brace for higher energy costs as the state pushes toward clean power — but she says if you’re a good person, you’ll accept the rate hikes, in exchange for meeting climate goals.
Her message comes as families across the Garden State struggle with sharp electricity bill increases following a June rate hike and as offshore wind projects once billed as cornerstones of Gov. Phil Murphy’s green agenda collapse or stall.
“We need to move into clean power. There’s almost been this understanding, It’s going to cost you an arm and a leg, but if you’re a good person, you’ll do,” Sherrill said.
Utility rates spiked on June 1, with average residential bills from PSE&G, JCP&L, Atlantic City Electric, and Rockland Electric jumping roughly 17% to 20%, depending on the provider. Rising wholesale power costs, PJM grid capacity auction charges, and inflation all fueled the surge, leaving some households with bills climbing even higher based on usage and weather.
However, many are reporting bills this summer increasing as much as 300%.
Meanwhile, Murphy’s flagship offshore wind projects — Ocean Wind 1 and 2, developed by Danish energy company Ørsted — were scrapped in late 2023, with the company citing inflation, high interest rates, and supply chain breakdowns. Other projects, including Atlantic Shores, remain tied up in regulatory delays and financial questions, putting New Jersey’s long-term clean energy goals in doubt.
Sherrill, a Democrat, says the current approach has left residents paying more without seeing the promised benefits. If elected, she vows to freeze further rate hikes for one year under a declared “State of Emergency on Utility Costs,” speed up solar and community clean power projects, and force utilities to disclose costs and projections more transparently.
Phil Murphy criticized Sherrill’s pie-in-the-sky energy freeze proposal, “I don’t know how she’ll do that.”
Her opponent, Jack Ciattarelli, offered a different approach. He said he would immediately begin re-opening closed nuclear and natural gas electrical plants closed during the Murphy administration to increase energy supplies. Ciattarelli notes that New Jersey was once an energy exporter and under failed green energy policies, has become reliant on importing energy from other states.
Critics, particularly Republicans, pin the blame squarely on Murphy’s mandates, saying the state chased expensive, unproven projects that fizzled while ratepayers footed the bill. Sherrill concedes that many of the price pressures come from outside Trenton’s control, but argues a governor can ease the pain by delaying some surcharges, adjusting tax components, and demanding stricter oversight of utility spending.
Energy affordability is now shaping up as one of the defining issues of the governor’s race, with Sherrill seeking to thread the needle between clean energy commitments and voter anger over skyrocketing bills.
Key Points
- New Jersey households saw electricity bills rise about 17–20% starting June 1 due to higher wholesale costs and PJM grid charges.
- Ørsted’s Ocean Wind 1 and 2 offshore projects were canceled in 2023; other wind projects remain delayed or uncertain.
- Sherrill backs renewable energy but proposes a rate freeze, faster solar expansion, and tighter utility oversight if elected governor.
The fight over clean energy and affordability is now powering the New Jersey governor’s race.
