New Jersey voters sent a clear message this election: a strong vision for an affordable and clean energy future is not just good policy, it’s winning politics.
Despite swirling disinformation from campaign ads and the fossil fuel industry, New Jerseyans voted to elect Mikie Sherrill, who pledged to lower electricity bills for working families by investing in clean energy.
Clean energy is the cheapest source of electricity, particularly solar, in addition to being the fastest to build, healthiest for our communities, and local, creating local predominately union jobs.
Now, before the end of Gov. Phil Murphy’s second term, state legislators have a critical opportunity to double down on that winning message by passing the New Jersey Energy Leadership Act (ELA).
This landmark piece of legislation would lock in lower energy prices for the long term by moving our state to 100% clean electricity by 2035. This bill would put New Jersey on the front lines of fighting climate change and ensure that thousands of union jobs are created right here in New Jersey — launching us toward the future New Jerseyans are clearly voting for.
Codifying the ELA into law would kickstart cheaper clean energy right as New Jerseyans across our state are struggling in the face of skyrocketing electricity bills caused by the explosion of power-hungry data centers and the chronic mismanagement of our grid by powerful utility companies.
Instead of investing in cleaner and cheaper options that would meet the moment, PJM, our shadowy regional grid operator, is blocking necessary projects to further enrich out-of-state oil and gas companies at our expense.
In fact, there’s a large backlog of cost-saving clean energy projects that are waiting to be connected into the grid that would work to immediately lower electricity prices. In a new November Synapse Energy Economics Report, it is estimated that getting clean energy projects connected to the grid more quickly could save New Jersey families $393 per household per year in 2030.
We need to get more energy onto the grid to lower costs now. And while it takes at least six years to build a new natural gas plant, it takes about one to two years to build a large solar installation and a battery storage project.
There is no question that New Jersey needs to generate more electricity, and the price tag tells us that clean energy generation is the answer. The sooner we build and connect these clean projects, the sooner working families and local businesses will see relief on their energy bills.
Quick action is even more crucial now, when Donald Trump is banning clean energy by aggressively rolling back federal clean energy programs. His GOP budget bill eliminated hundreds of billions of dollars of clean energy investments costing the average New Jerseyan $220 a year more in electricity costs.
While Trump is working to enrich his billionaire friends, we need our elected leaders in Trenton to stand up for us.
Now is not the time to stand still.
Here in New Jersey, voters have spoken. New Jerseyans want an affordable, healthy, and reliable energy future. To permanently lower energy costs for New Jersey families and businesses, the Legislature must act now to pass the Energy Leadership Act.
Anjuli Ramos-Busot is the director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.
Ed Potosnak is the executive director of New Jersey LCV. He is also a member of the Franklin Township Council in Somerset County.