Is Your Electric Bill Skyrocketing? Why New Jersey’s Energy Crisis is Hitting Your Wallet—and How to Fix It
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
TRENTON, N.J. — If you feel like your monthly utility bill is becoming a second mortgage, you aren’t alone. New Jersey families are facing a dual crisis: electricity costs are surging while the reliability of the state’s power grid is plummeting.
Despite a recent Fairleigh Dickinson University poll showing that 76% of residents support building natural gas plants to lower costs, current state policies are moving in the opposite direction. Since 2016, New Jersey’s power generation has dropped a staggering 21%, forcing the state of Thomas Edison to import over 40% of its electricity from out-of-state sources.
Here is the breakdown of why the current “Energy Master Plan”and blaming President Trump is failing and the specific legislative solutions being proposed to bring costs back down to earth.
The Numbers: A Grid in Decline
The math for New Jersey’s current energy policy doesn’t add up for the average taxpayer:
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Production Drop: In-state generation fell from 6.47 million megawatt-hours per month in 2016 to just 5.1 million in 2024.
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Capacity Loss: Over 1,600 megawatts of reliable generation have been retired.
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Dependency: By importing nearly half of its power, New Jersey is at the mercy of external market prices and transmission fees.
The Republican Roadmap: 4 Solutions to Lower Your Bills
Assembly Republicans have introduced a suite of “common sense” energy bills designed to increase supply and decrease bureaucracy.
1. End “Permit Limbo” (A-4000 Series)
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The Problem: New power plants often sit in bureaucratic gridlock for years waiting for state air quality permits.
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The Fix: Sponsored by Assemblymen Brian Rumpf and Greg Myhre, this bill requires a permit decision within 90 days. If the state fails to act, the permit is automatically approved, allowing clean, modern plants to come online faster.
2. Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)
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The Problem: Large-scale nuclear takes decades to build.
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The Fix: Myhre and Rumpf are pushing for Small Modular Reactors. These next-gen facilities are carbon-free, have a smaller footprint, and can be deployed rapidly through private investment.
3. The Power Generation Training Center
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The Problem: A shrinking energy sector means a shrinking workforce.
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The Fix: Assemblyman Alex Sauickie proposes a dedicated training center to prepare NJ workers for high-paying jobs in the nuclear and advanced energy sectors, ensuring we have the talent to run our own grid.
4. Future-Proofing with Fusion
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The Problem: Emerging technologies lack the regulatory framework to attract major investment.
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The Fix: Another Sauickie-led initiative would recognize fusion energy as a Class I renewable source, positioning New Jersey as a global hub for the next breakthrough in clean, limitless power.
The Bottom Line: Policy vs. Reality
“New Jersey doesn’t have an energy shortage problem. It has a policy problem,” say Assembly leaders. While the current administration focuses on importing power, these proposals aim to make New Jersey energy-independent once again.
Until the state prioritizes building reliable, in-state generation—whether through natural gas, nuclear, or fusion—New Jersey families will likely continue to see their utility bills climb.
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thanks the democrats for their failed green new scam