FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 25, 2025

Advocates call out utilities’ profit-seeking tactics, urge lawmakers to increase utility transparency, advance clean energy projects to lower energy bills
To protect their own profits, PJM members have deliberately stalled affordable clean energy projects that would save consumers an average of $405 each year over the next 15 years

Trenton, NJ — Following today’s joint legislative hearing to address energy affordability in New Jersey, a coalition of climate and clean energy advocates are calling on the state legislature to increase utility transparency and accountability and work to advance the backlog of renewable energy projects that could lower bills for Garden State households.

New Jersey’s utilities and their parent firms, voting members of PJM, have allowed costly, polluting coal and gas plants to power the grid, raising costs for consumers and allowing the for-profit corporations to earn windfall profits. At the same time, members have delayed critical reforms and prevented low-cost renewable energy projects such as wind and solar, which would save New Jersey households more than $400 per year on average, from connecting to the grid. Legislation under consideration in the Assembly could provide greater transparency, requiring utilities to reveal whether they voted to advance, or impede, low-cost clean energy.

Lawmakers can also pass several bills to lower energy costs for New Jersey residents, including legislation that would ensure New Jersey’s electric grid is completely powered by clean energy by 2035. Even greater savings are possible by passing S-249/A-4844, which would help more New Jersey households upgrade to highly efficient electric heat pumps. Accelerating adoption of heat pumps can tap into excess grid capacity, putting downward pressure on electric rates, and lowering energy costs for families.

Find statements in reaction to today’s hearing from a coalition of advocates below::

Barbara Blumenthal, Policy Director, ReThink Energy NJ
“An avalanche of low-cost solar, wind and storage projects have been prevented from connecting to the regional electric grid for years. PJM members have slow-walked reforms while many of the same firms earn windfall profits. Further reforms are needed to accelerate the connection of solar, wind and storage will save New Jersey consumers an average of $405 each year over the next 15 years. New Jersey electric utilities, which are voting members of PJM, should be required to disclose their votes, so that it is clear whether they are fighting to lower electric bills for consumers.”

Anjuli Ramos-Busot, NJ State Director, Sierra Club
“Let us be clear, PJM has failed to connect cheaper and cleaner energy to the grid while handing out fast passes to fossil fuel companies. Based on their current business as usual, PJM continues to depend on outdated, expensive, and dirty energy sources in a volatile market that drives up costs for ratepayers. If we continue with the status quo, New Jersey’s electric bills will rise by 60% by 2040. However, if PJM were to do their job by unclogging their interconnection queue and taking the necessary steps to reform its interconnection process, New Jersey households would save hundreds of dollars per year and gain about 23,000 jobs on average per year. For New Jersey, this means clean energy projects stuck in the queue finally get interconnected. If we let the market build what it wants, clean energy, New Jerseyans will save money.”

Ed Potosnak, Executive Director, New Jersey League of Conservation Voters
"Utilities are raking in large profits at a time when working families are going to see an increase of up to 20% in their electric bills, it’s unacceptable, our utilities need to do more to lower skyrocketing energy prices from high-cost dirty oil and gas. They need to push for fundamental reforms to our electricity grid and stop prioritizing dirty and expensive oil and gas projects over cheaper and cleaner renewable energy. And they need to be much more transparent about how they're projecting future electricity demand to avoid needlessly driving up prices. Clean energy is cheaper, with solar being the least expensive and fastest to build source of electricity today. We look forward to working with the Legislature on proposals like codifying Governor Murphy’s goal of 100% clean energy by 2035 to restore fairness and transparency to our energy markets because those are key principles that will lower energy bills for New Jersey families."

David Amanfu, Building Decarbonization Advocate, Climate & Energy at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council)
“As higher bills squeeze the pockets of Garden State residents, New Jersey must embrace policies that help residents take control of their energy costs. Skyrocketing energy bills are a result of inaction and delay tactics. These missteps have allowed outdated, polluting, and costly coal and gas plants to delay progress, when we should be embracing the clean energy projects that can lower costs for all New Jerseyans. It’s encouraging to see Governor Murphy call for an investigation into these practices and exorbitant price hikes.”

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