Garden State Times

Senate Republican leaders, Anthony M. Bucco and Michael Testa, voiced their disapproval of the recent legislative hearing on rising utility costs in New Jersey. The hearing followed the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities’ (NJBPU) announcement that rates would increase by up to 20% beginning in June.

During the hearing, Senator Bucco remarked, “I think what we learned today is that despite the warnings from various industry experts, PJM, and the rate counsel, this failed energy policy from the administration and the Democrat-controlled Legislature is causing rates to go up and our residents are going to feel it. You heard the rate counsel say that if these energy prices go so high, people will have to start making decisions that could seriously impact their health. That’s not where New Jersey needs to be, not when these warnings have been given over the last five years, not just by Republicans but by folks who deal with these industries every day.”

Senator Testa added, “So many of us saw what’s happening today from a mile away. We called the Energy Master Plan the Energy ‘Disaster’ Plan, we knew that going all in on offshore wind was a really bad idea, but instead, we went with really bad expensive, intermittent forms of energy that are going to be placed on the backs of the taxpayers and the ratepayers of New Jersey. Make no mistake, Governor Murphy and all the members of his cabinet promised every single New Jerseyan that they would make New Jersey the California of the East Coast; well folks the chickens have come home to roost.”

In response, Senate Republicans have introduced the “Energy Security and Affordability Act” (S-2839) aimed at improving energy costs and protecting consumers from future NJBPU-approved rate hikes. The bill proposes that the NJBPU prioritize in-state energy sources over costly out-of-state subsidies and mandates economic and ratepayer impact analyses for all proposed energy projects.