New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill signed six executive orders on her first day in office, including two affecting energy costs and energy permits.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill
“In the Navy, I learned that you have to lead, follow, or get out of the way – and I promised the people of New Jersey that from day one I would be on a mission to deliver results. That’s why I’m beginning my term as Governor by taking immediate action to solve some of the most important issues facing New Jerseyans. My first six executive orders include freezing utility rate increases, ensuring officers and staff in my administration meet the highest standards of transparency and accountability, bringing together agencies to protect our children online, and cutting through the roadblocks and red tape that make it too difficult to do business here,” said Governor Sherrill.
Executive Order No. 1 uses state authority to offset upcoming rate increases due to the mismanagement of regional grid operator PJM and hold utilities accountable for preventing rates from continuing to rise at an unsustainable pace.
- Uses existing funds to offset June electric bill increases.
- Gives the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) the authority to pause or modify utility actions that could further increase bills.
- Directs BPU to review utility business models to ensure alignment to deliver cost savings to ratepayers.
Executive Order No. 2 declares a state of emergency under the Disaster Control Act and creates and expands multiple, accelerated state programs to develop massive amounts of new energy generation in New Jersey, because more energy means lower costs. It also addresses state-level permitting issues and utility-level interconnection delays that are holding back projects and driving up costs.
- Initiates and accelerates programs to achieve thousands of megawatts of new solar and battery storage generation.
- Directs government agencies to identify permitting reforms to more quickly deploy new energy projects.
- Directs BPU to take action against artificial intelligence “ghost charges” by requiring electric utilities to report on energy requests from data centers.
- A Nuclear Energy Task Force is being established to enable the state to take the lead in building new nuclear energy generation.
Jackson Morris, director of state energy sector policy at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), commented following the signing of the executive order.
“Governor Sherrill’s executive orders have outlined a bold vision to accelerate the deployment of clean energy and make New Jersey a more affordable and healthier place to live,” he said. “Her actions are consistent with her campaign promises to protect our communities, reduce our carbon emissions and address skyrocketing energy bills. We look forward to working with Governor Sherrill and participating in the critical rulemaking processes to get the details of these proposals right for New Jersey. We are confident these important deliberations will result in a robust energy portfolio that maximizes renewables and energy efficiency for the benefit of all ratepayers.”
