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The basics:

• Gottheimer proposes plan to lower New Jersey utility bills amid 45% cost surge
• Strategy includes expanding energy supply across gas, nuclear, renewables
• Calls for faster permitting, reforms to speed infrastructure projects
• Bipartisan bills aim to improve grid reliability, boost power capacity

U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-5th District, unveiled a comprehensive plan Monday to lower utility bills for New Jersey families by boosting energy production and speeding up infrastructure projects.

Speaking in Fort Lee, flanked by labor leaders and local officials, the congressman pointed to the sharp rise in electricity costs across the state. “Utility bills in New Jersey have surged 45% in just the last two years. Yes, 45% – and, they’re set to go even higher,” said Gottheimer.

The congressman said that energy isn’t a luxury, “It’s a necessity.”

Gottheimer said his plan focuses on expanding energy supply as well as cutting red tape that can delay projects to strengthen the region’s power grid.

Among the key steps he outlined:

• Increasing power production in New Jersey through an “all-of-the-above” approach that includes natural gas, nuclear, solar, hydroelectric, geothermal and battery storage
• Reforming permitting rules to speed up approvals for energy and transmission projects
• Addressing issues with the regional power grid operated by PJM Interconnection, including capacity auctions and supply constraints Gottheimer said contribute to higher electricity prices
• Improving coordination between federal, state and local agencies to accelerate grid upgrades
• Converting aging coal plants to cleaner natural gas or renewable energy to expand capacity
• Creating a “More Energy, Lower Bills” task force involving regulators, utilities and energy producers to address supply shortages and grid reliability

An all-of-the-above approach to energy

As part of the plan, Gottheimer is also advancing bipartisan legislation with U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler, R-17th District, from New York. The measures aim to accelerate energy infrastructure development and expand supply.

The bills include:

• Making Reviews Certain Act, would reform the federal judicial review process to prevent bad-faith lawsuits from delaying energy projects
• Grid Expansion and Reliability Act, would create a faster approval pathway for transmission projects in designated emergency corridors
• Commonsense Review Act, would require federal agencies to coordinate and streamline permitting for certain energy infrastructure projects
• Build More Power Act, would allow aging coal plants required to remain open to use federal funding to convert to natural gas or renewable energy as well as expand capacity

“Over the last eight years, New Jersey’s grid lost about 1500 megawatts – that’s enough for about 1.2 million homes, or the number of homes in Bergen, Essex, and Hudson counties combined,” said Gottheimer. “Every shovel kept out of the ground – and every plant that we haven’t built – has driven up your rates. It’s a simple supply and demand problem.

Every shovel kept out of the ground – and every plant that we haven’t built – has driven up your rates. It’s a simple supply and demand problem.
— U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer

“One other thing: it’s a false assumption to say that the U.S. has to sacrifice longer-term climate goals if we take an all-of-the-above energy approach domestically. We can do both – and get energy prices down. We can have nuclear, natural gas – and alternative energies.”

“For too long, critical energy projects in the United States have been delayed for years by bureaucratic red tape and bad-faith lawsuits that do nothing but stall progress,” said Lawler. “The Making Reviews Certain Act, the Grid Expansion and Reliability Act, the Commonsense Review Act, and the Build More Power Act are commonsense reforms that will help modernize our permitting process, strengthen our electric grid, and expand reliable domestic energy production.

“These bills will cut unnecessary delays, encourage responsible infrastructure development, and help bring down energy costs for American families.”

Putting politics aside

Gottheimer added, “In the end, as I hope you can tell, this isn’t about choosing between lower prices and reliable power. This isn’t choosing between protecting the environment and protecting your wallets. We can have both. And we should keep politics out of it.

“We can lower utility bills, maintain reliability, and build cleaner energy. But, what’s clear is that we can’t sit on the sidelines and hope that more power will come online by itself to meet the massive amount of demand coming our way,” he stressed. “This is about making sure every New Jersey family can afford to live, work, and thrive not just today, but in the AI world of the future, when our schools, hospitals, businesses, and government will be utilizing it.

“We’re going to build more energy; we’re going to cut red tape; we’re going to hold the system accountable. And we’re going to fight like hell to make sure Jersey families aren’t getting squeezed every time they flip on a light switch. Nobody in this state should be sweating over an electric bill at the kitchen table.”

Gottheimer’s announcement comes as utility bills and energy production remain top-of-mind for New Jersey residents and businesses. As NJBIZ has reported, Gov. Mikie Sherrill has made the topic a central issue for her administration, as well. She has also laid out several steps at the state level to combat rising costs.