KENILWORTH - Mikie Sherrill, Democratic nominee for Governor, said if elected she would enact a Day One State of Emergency on Utility Costs, promising to freeze rate hikes, build out cheaper and cleaner power generation, and require more transparency from utility companies, including PSE&G, JCP&L, Atlantic City Electric, and Rockland Electric, and our grid operator, PJM.

“New Jersey families are being crushed by their utility bills and we’ve reached a crisis point," Sherrill said. "But in the Navy, you learn that in times of crisis, you have to lead, follow, or get out of the way. I’m running to lead, and I am going to be the governor who lowers your utility bills. So on Day One, I’m going to declare a State of Emergency on Utility Costs to freeze these rate hikes and build out New Jersey’s energy arsenal, which will immediately lower costs. And I’m not afraid to take on anyone – whether it’s the utility companies, our grid operator, or my own party — to get it done. Meanwhile, Jack Ciattarelli is going to sit back and let Donald Trump drive up energy costs while making New Jerseyans foot the bill."

Part of her plans include support for fast-tracking a new nuclear power plant in Salem County.

Sherrill made the announcement alongside Herb Michitsch, a Kenilworth senior, and Keith Misciagna from IBEW Local 164, who shared how the 20% utility rate increases are already stretching their budgets thin:

“Utilities are really putting a dent in our budget. When we first moved in, I believe our electric bill was under $100 a month, now it’s creeping up close to $400 a month," said Michitsch. "When Mikie is governor, I’m sure on day one, she will stop the increase in utilities. Mikie will sure help make New Jersey as affordable for my family and for others in this state, bringing down the costs of living and utility prices."

“It’s extremely important that Mikie declares a state of emergency on utility costs. She’ll eliminate unnecessary red tape and permitting delays, so new, cheaper, cleaner energy can be built. This new arsenal in our state will bring down bills and help working families make ends meet. More power generation means more good-paying union jobs and more families with a pathway to a middle class,” said Keith Misciagna from IBEW Local 164.

The gubernatorial candidate advised the Board of Public Utilities to act to reverse utility costs or else.

"If the current BPU commissioners are not going to address this, yes, they will be replaced," Sherrill said. "We are acting very quickly.

"Whoever mismanaged the grid - whether the administration, utilities companies, PJM, the BPU - all this mismanagement has been put on the backs of New Jersey families, and I'm not going to accept that.

"We have got to increase our energy production, and we have many opportunities for solar on warehouses, which, for example, have flat rooves, and I will increase our battery storage capacity to safely drive solar into the grid."

Sherrill also took aim at the Trump Administration.

"At every turn we see the federal government and Donald Trump increasing costs for New Jerseyans, whether it's his tariff policy, his energy policy, which will cost ratepayers a couple hundred bucks more a year, the $5 billion hit to state government, and cuts to education and Medicaid. I will drive down costs here by cutting red tape, getting solar into the grid, and taking this administration to court to claw back our money. New Jersey pays $70 billion more in federal taxes than we receive, so the fact that this federal government is so incompetent and costing us so much money is unacceptable."

Read Sherrill's full plan here and below:

STATE OF EMERGENCY ON UTILITY COSTS

Utility costs are out of control in New Jersey. Families are spending almost their entire budget just to pay the electric bill this summer. It’s time for action, because people just can’t wait any longer. So on Day One as New Jersey’s next governor, I’m going to declare a State of Emergency on Utility Costs and freeze your utility rates, massively build out cheaper and cleaner power generation, and require more transparency from our utility companies including PSE&G, JCP&L, Atlantic City Electric, and Rockland Electric.

INTRODUCTION

Life in New Jersey is too expensive and every single New Jerseyan who pays the bills knows it. It’s appalling that while costs rise on everything, New Jerseyans are now being slapped with a 20% increase in their utility bills, and Donald Trump’s tax hike bill will increase costs by an additional $220 per year by cancelling cheap and clean generation and energy efficiency programs. We’ve all had enough of it; no one can afford it; it’s got to stop. That changes when I’m governor. Too many people – our utility companies and grid operator, the administration in Trenton, and Donald Trump in Washington — have kicked the can down the road and not been held accountable for their decisions. New Jersey isn’t generating even close to enough in-state power to keep costs low, and we risk missing the clean energy targets that we need to protect our environment for generations to come. I’m not going to accept that.

In the military, you’re trained to run towards a crisis. When I was leading my crews as a Navy helicopter pilot, everyone was accountable to me and delaying my response to an emergency wasn’t an option. New Jersey is facing an energy crisis now because no one has taken leadership and no one has been held accountable. That’s not how I was trained, and it’s not how I will govern. I will bring a different kind of leadership and accountability to lower utility costs for families. That starts with declaring a State of Emergency on Day One, through which I will freeze utility costs, massively expand cheaper and cleaner energy generation to build an energy arsenal in our state, open the books and require more transparency from our utility companies, and force our grid operator PJM to end its years of mismanagement and add power immediately. Prices are spiking because of a huge power shortage — I’ll transform New Jersey’s energy picture to build new, cheaper, and cleaner energy generation, bring down families’ bills, and put the Garden State on track to hit our emissions and clean air goals.

ACTIONS UNDER THE STATE OF EMERGENCY

1. To provide immediate relief, I will freeze utility costs for families as we rapidly expand new, cheaper, and cleaner power generation to lower costs.
   1. I will ensure that the average New Jersey family sees no increase in their utility rates over the next year
2. I will massively increase New Jersey’s power generation to build an energy arsenal in our state and make our energy supply cheaper and cleaner.
   1. I’ll eliminate unnecessary red tape and permitting delays to open up the floodgates on new energy projects that increase our power supply, lower costs, and make our air cleaner, because more power generation means lower bills.
   2. This means immediately breaking ground on new solar and battery storage projects, expediting capacity upgrades at our existing nuclear plants, and streamlining the modernization of existing natural gas facilities to make them cleaner and more efficient — which will lower costs, reduce carbon emissions, and boost reliability and energy independence right now.
   3. Due to Trump’s price hike bill, new solar projects must begin construction by July 2026 to receive federal tax credits, so we have no time to waste. Solar is the fastest energy source to build right now and the cheapest form of power generation nationwide, but permitting roadblocks and interconnection delays are preventing us from hitting our goals — which is increasing utility bills and making our air dirtier.
   4. We’re importing dirty and expensive energy like coal from other states, and that has to stop.
   5. I’ll also immediately develop plans for new nuclear capacity in Salem County, which is critical to meeting our energy needs. I’ll sit down with neighboring states to harness economies of scale to build new reactors in our region at a low cost.
3. I will require a new level of transparency and accountability from our utility companies, including PSE&G, JCP&L, Atlantic City Electric, and Rockland Electric.
   1. I’ll immediately open up their books to see where rising costs to families are going, and make sure their voting records at our grid operator’s board meetings are consistent with what is best for New Jersey.
   2. I’ll ensure that price gouging and collusion isn’t happening in energy and utility markets.
   3. And I’ll immediately convene an emergency meeting of New Jersey’s utility companies to ensure they are connecting new, cheaper, and cleaner power generating projects to our energy supply as fast as possible, including by working with them to address bottlenecks at our grid operator, PJM.
4. I will instruct my Attorney General to take Trump and New Jersey’s grid operator, PJM, to court – in coordination with governors in our region — to force them to end their mismanagement and instead accelerate the development of cheaper and cleaner energy sources and connect new power generation to our grid immediately.
   1. New energy projects can’t lower utility bills if they’re waiting years to start producing energy, but PJM refuses to connect them quickly.
   2. President Trump is actively thwarting the development of new, needed power plants. I will take him on over his destructive efforts to block crucial power supplies, which will reduce our energy rates and make our air cleaner.

TAKING ON ANYONE TO LOWER UTILITY COSTS

In my administration, bringing down the cost of living and being accountable to the people of New Jersey will be my number one priority. 

Make no mistake: I am willing to take on anybody, including my own party and the powerful utility companies, to get this job done for New Jersey. New Jersey’s grid operator PJM has refused to connect enough new, cheap, and clean energy generation to the grid for years, but New Jersey waited to act until we were hit with a 20% rate increase. While other states were taking action, New Jersey hesitated and was sidelined for far too long. The result is that we don’t have enough in-state generation to keep costs low and we risk missing our clean power targets. That is unacceptable. In my administration, Board of Public Utilities nominees, who hold huge power over rate hikes, will share my commitment to driving down energy costs above all else. If they don’t, they shouldn’t get too comfortable.

I will take bold action to reduce costs – no matter who it ticks off in New Jersey or Washington, DC. Trump’s price hike bill is increasing utility costs by $220 per year by cancelling hundreds of new, cheap, and clean power generation projects across our state. PJM’s mismanagement and refusal to connect projects to the grid is costing families a further $400 a year. I’ll take them on and beat them, because we have to lower utility bills right now.

When I become governor, I will take on Trump, the utility companies, and anyone who refuses to put New Jerseyans first.