In New Jersey, skyrocketing home energy bills, more than doubling costs for many residents, have sparked widespread calls for hearings to hold the state's Public Utilities Commission, the governor and green energy advocates accountable.
State Sen. Mike Testa, R-Salem, echoed those voices, saying Wednesday that much of the blame lies with Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy's “Energy Master Plan,” launched in 2020.
“New Jersey is already one of the most expensive states in the country, and now people are essentially paying double the energy bills. I know it was hot in July, but it wasn't hot enough to double their energy bills,” Testa said.
One constituent apparently told Testa that he turned up his thermostat an average of four degrees this summer in hopes of saving money, but that costs still increased “significantly.”
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Homeowners in suburban Morris County complained about the news on local social media groups, with one Parsippany resident questioning the $782 monthly bill, according to the Morristown Daily Record.
“Frankly, it seemed to me like the BPU (New Jersey Commission of Public Utilities) and the Murphy Administration were working together to pursue this green energy dream through the Murphy Energy Master Plan, which I often call the energy disaster plan.
“This is what I call an energy disaster plan. It's a green energy nightmare,” he said, adding that amid the uproar over offshore wind turbines in New Jersey, BPU officials have even gone so far as to wear wind turbine pin badges in public.
In a lengthy statement, the BPU acknowledged receiving the letter from New Jerseyans and offered several possible reasons for the rate increases.
The commission cited rising generation costs and usage as reasons and urged customers to contact their utility or the commission immediately if they “observe and cannot explain any anomalies.” A one-time $175 bill credit program is also available, a commission spokesman said.
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PJM, the electricity transmission company that covers much of the Mid-Atlantic, also provided data on the subject to Fox News Digital.
The PJM study found that electricity demand in the region is likely to increase, especially due to “the growth of high-demand data centers” and “the rapid retirement of coal-fired power plants due to government and private sector policies and economic conditions.”
Meanwhile, at the federal level, Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-J., lashed out at the BPU this week in a letter obtained by Fox News Digital, saying “thousands” of his constituents are finding their bills too expensive to bear.
“In light of these alarming reports, I call on the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) to hold public hearings in Southern New Jersey to allow residents to voice their concerns directly to the commission,” he wrote, adding that the commission must also determine whether there is a correlation between the rate increases and the operation of offshore wind turbines in his Cape May district.
Van Drew said New Jersey officials needed to take the situation seriously, and rejected claims that an “unseasonably warm summer” was the only factor.
“We need transparency and accountability from the NJBPU to ensure the needs and concerns of Southern New Jersey residents are effectively addressed,” he said.
Van Drew pointed out that Danish green power company Orsted previously withdrew plans for a wind farm on the Jersey Shore despite having Murphy's full backing and taxpayer funding, “and yet they still couldn't get it done,” he said.
Murphy's office did not respond to a request for comment, but the governor has previously praised the Energy Master Plan's goal of achieving 100% clean energy in the Garden State by 2050.
“The Energy Master Plan comprehensively addresses New Jersey's energy system, including electricity generation, transportation and buildings, and its associated greenhouse gas emissions and related air pollutants,” he said.
In a statement Tuesday, the Murphy administration highlighted the Residential Energy Assistance Payment (REAP) initiative, which will provide financial relief to thousands of households in the same $175 amount cited by the BPU.
“From the beginning, making New Jersey a better place to live for families has been my number one priority,” Murphy said in a statement.
“It's great to see this addition to the growing list of assistance available to residents across our state who need a little extra help,” added State Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin (D-Perth Amboy).
Republican Rep. Nancy Munoz of Summit said the average price increase per kilowatt hour in central New Jersey was 8.6 percent.
“It's simple economics: when supply goes down and demand surges, prices go up,” she told Fox News Digital.
“I believe Americans are innovative. … The government cannot shut down natural gas production and at the same time impose a deadline.”
Munoz, the Budget Committee chair, said some Democrats would admit the fee hikes are a problem. “It's kind of a ridiculous idea for Democrats to think that. Don't they care that their constituents have to foot the bill for these massive cost increases?”
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Pictured is the Salem Nuclear Generating Station in Lower Alloways Creek Township, New Jersey.
Fox News Digital reached out to State Senate President Nick Scutari, D-Clark, for his perspective.
Munoz cited New Jersey's effort to make 60% of its auto sales electric by 2035 as an example, saying that regardless of one's opinion on EVs themselves, the state will not have the proper infrastructure to meet the need.
Asked about similar green energy efforts in other states, such as then-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's 2020 shutdown of the Indian Point nuclear plant on the Hudson River across from Haverstraw, Testa expressed relief that the crackdown hasn't gone as far nationally.
He noted that a similar nuclear power plant in Lower Alloways Creek Township remains in operation, adding that he is proud to have the plant in his district and the jobs and generating capacity it provides.
Testa said the state's energy mix is 50 percent natural gas, 40 percent nuclear and 10 percent other, which runs counter to Murphy's opposition to additional natural gas production.
Some energy experts worry about a nuclear crisis similar to the 1979 Three Mile Island meltdown in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, but Testa says technology has advanced since then, and small modular reactors, similar to those found on submarines, can produce safe, clean energy inland at low cost.
“By the way, we are confident that these devices will not kill any whales,” he said.
