As promised, Mikie Sherrill immediately declares state of emergency on utility bills in N.J.: ‘Just the beginning’
Gov. Mikie Sherrill declared a state of emergency and froze utility rates in New Jersey within moments of being sworn in during her inauguration speech.
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill was so excited to fulfill her promise of declaring a state of emergency on utility bills on her first day in office, she did it before finishing her inauguration speech.
“I’ve heard you, New Jersey — we are facing an affordability crisis, and you want costs to come down," she said during her speech, right after being sworn in as governor. “And you want that to begin today.”
Shortly after being sworn in at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark on Tuesday, Sherrill, a Democrat, signed two executive orders.
The first freezes freezes utility rates in New Jersey, which she is able to do by directing the state Board of Public Utilities to provide credits to bill payers for increases. The board made a similar move over the summer after significant bill increases under former Gov. Phil Murphy.
Sherrill also signed an executive order to increase power generation in the state as part of her effort to lower costs.
“This is just the beginning,” she said on stage.
“Not of my speech, of my work,” she joked.
Sherrill, as part of her rate freeze order, also directed the public utilities board to revise the Clean Energy Program for the upcoming FY 2026 budget.
Her second order rolls out efforts to make it easier and faster for companies to generate power in the state, particularly via solar and battery sources. She directs state agencies to pursue permitting reforms that can help speed up processes to get new energy sources up and running as part of this order.
She also calls on the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to expedite permitting processes for existing gas plants to expand capacity, run more efficiently, and reduce emissions.
In another request of the public utilities board, she asks officials to require electric utility companies to report on how much energy data centers request.
The order also creates a Nuclear Power Task Force to support nuclear power generation.
“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,” Sherrill said in a statement.