Gov. Sherrill declares utility-cost emergency, signs orders to freeze rate hikes and boost power
NEW JERSEY — New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill on Tuesday signed two executive orders declaring a state of emergency on utility costs, moving on a Day One pledge to provide immediate ratepayer relief and pursue a major expansion of in-state power generation aimed at lowering electric bills.
The governor signed the orders during her inaugural speech. Her administration said Executive Order No. 1 is intended to freeze rate hikes for New Jersey families and provide near-term relief, while Executive Order No. 2 invokes the state’s Disaster Control Act to accelerate energy projects and expand generation — including solar and battery storage in the short term and nuclear power in the long term.
“I promised the people of New Jersey bold action to lower utility costs and, today, I’m delivering. Trenton will no longer accept the status quo and kick the can down the road while New Jersey families pay higher bills – not on my watch. These executive orders will deliver relief to consumers and stop rate hikes, so New Jerseyans aren’t facing ever increasing electric bills. This will also create the conditions to massively expand New Jersey’s power generation, because more power in-state will help lower costs. I heard the people of New Jersey loud and clear – these rate hikes are unacceptable – and as your governor, I will not stop fighting to lower costs and make New Jersey a more affordable place to live, work, and raise a family,” said Governor Mikie Sherrill.
According to the administration’s summary, Executive Order No. 1 uses state authority to offset upcoming rate increases and directs oversight of utilities, citing what it described as mismanagement by PJM, the regional grid operator. The order calls for using existing funds to offset electricity bill increases expected in June, and it gives the state Board of Public Utilities authority to pause or modify utility actions that could further increase bills. It also directs the board to review utility business models to ensure they align with efforts to deliver cost reductions to ratepayers, the administration said.
Executive Order No. 2 declares a state of emergency under the Disaster Control Act and creates expedited programs intended to bring new generation online more quickly. The administration said the order seeks to address state-level permitting challenges and utility interconnection delays that can slow projects and increase costs, and it points to concerns about federal support for energy production being cut.
The administration said the order would initiate and accelerate programs to add thousands of megawatts of new solar and battery storage generation, direct state agencies to identify permit reforms to speed deployment of energy projects, and require electric utilities to report on energy requests from data centers to address artificial intelligence-related “ghost loads.” The order also establishes a Nuclear Power Task Force aimed at positioning the state to lead efforts to build new nuclear generation, the administration said.
