Gottheimer unveils plan to lower state's power bills
By: David M. Zimmer
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey
..... U.S, Representative Josh Gotheimer is calling for a broad expansion of energy productions and regulatory changes he said are needed to bring down rising electricity costs in New Jersey.
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Speaking in Fort Lee on March 17, [2026] the North Jersey Democrat outlined what he described as an "all-of-the-above" strategy that includes building more natural gas, nuclear and renewable energy projects, while speeding up permitting and overhauling parts of the regional power system."
..... New Jersey is pursuing aggressive clean energy targets, including a transition away from fossil fuels, as utility costs have climbed sharply.
..... Gottheimer said electricity bills in the state have increased about 45% over the past two years, which he attributed in part to rising demand and a lack of new energy supply.
..... "Energy isn't a luxury, it's a necessity,' Gottheimer said. "We're going to build more energy cut red tape, hold the system countable, and fight like hell to make sure Jersey families aren't getting squeezed."
..... His plan focuses on expanding instate power generation, reforming the approval prices for new projects, and addressing prising issues within PJM Interconnection, the regional grid operator that supplies electricity across 13 states, including New Jersey.
..... He argued that the state has fallen behind on energy production as demand has increased, pointing to growth driven by electrification and emerging technologies such a artificial intelligence and data centers.
..... "The readily is that energy demand has shot up nearly 10% over the last five years, and it's set to rise even more, by 25%, by 2030," he said.
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At the same time, Gottheimer said, New Jersey has lost about 1,500 megawatts of generating capacity over the past eight years, which is contended has contributed to higher prices.
..... He blamed delays in building new projects and retiring older plants without replacement, calling the situation "a simple supply-and-demand problem."
..... The plan includes converting aging coal plants to natural gas or renewable energy, expand transmission infrastructure and coordinating approvals across federal, state and local agencies.
..... Gottheimer is also backing several bipartisan bills aimed at speeding up federal environmental reviews and transmission development, including proposals to limit litigation delays and allow certain gird projects to mover forward more quickly.
..... He also plans to press PJM to take steps to lower costs in the near term and to shift more of the burden to larger energy suers, particularly data centers, which require significant power.
..... "Families ... Shouldn't be subsidizing big Tech's peer bills," Gottheimer said.
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The proposal calls for increased outreach aorta federal energy assistance programs, including LIHEAP, which helps offset heating and cooling costs for eligible households.
..... Gottheimer said he plans to convene utilities, regulators and energy producers to discuss next steps.