NORTH JERSEY — U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) this week released a statement sharply criticizing PJM, the regional grid operator for New Jersey and 12 other states, following its recent electricity auction that he said will raise utility rates for New Jersey families.
“After whacking Jersey families with a staggering 40% increase in electricity bills in the last year, PJM just twisted the knife by adding another 5% increase in the coming year,” Gottheimer said. “Yes, that’s a 45% percent increase in utility bills thanks to their disastrous auction failure.”
Gottheimer also blamed “President Trump’s Big F’ed Up Bill” for contributing to rising electricity bills, saying it has already increased costs by $110 per year for New Jersey families while gutting investments in clean energy that could help lower rates.
“This is not the first time PJM has failed Jersey families,” Gottheimer added, accusing the operator of delaying critical energy projects that would boost grid supply and reduce costs — including projects he said he successfully secured in Congress. He said PJM’s 2024 auction resulted in $14.7 billion in increased costs passed on to New Jersey ratepayers.
Gottheimer noted that ahead of the auction, he led a bipartisan letter demanding answers from PJM on how it would avoid another rate hike, but said those efforts were unsuccessful. He also called on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to investigate PJM’s “repeated mismanagement and overpayments.”
“Jersey families shouldn’t have to pay the price of PJM’s jaw-dropping incompetence,” he said. “I’ll keep fighting to hold them accountable and deliver lower energy costs for Jersey families.”
