Governor Murphy’s Energy Policies: A Recipe for Higher Electric Bills

Saturday, September 6, 2025, 1:00 P.M. ET. 3 Minute Read, Opinion, By Jennifer Hodges: Englebrook Independent News,

TRENTON, NJ.- New Jersey families are now staring at electric bills that have jumped by double digits — in some cases 20% or more — and there is only one person squarely responsible: Governor Phil Murphy. His policies, sold as a bold clean-energy vision, have in practice become nothing more than just a reckless experiment that leaves working people footing the bill.

Shutting Down Reliable Power, Without a Backup Plan;

     Murphy has presided over the closure of coal plants, gas facilities, and even the Oyster Creek nuclear plant, removing thousands of megawatts of reliable baseload power. But instead of replacing that capacity with new plants or realistic alternatives, he gambled on offshore wind and solar projects that are years behind schedule. The result? New Jersey is forced to import more expensive electricity from out-of-state markets. Families now pay not only for their own energy but also for Murphy’s planning failures.

The False Promise of Offshore Wind;

     Murphy has made offshore wind the crown jewel of his so-called “green revolution.” Yet nearly every major offshore wind project in New Jersey is delayed, over budget, or stuck in red tape. Meanwhile, utilities have spent millions preparing the grid for projects that aren’t producing a single kilowatt for consumers. Instead of affordable, homegrown power, residents are stuck with higher delivery charges and bloated bills.

PJM Auctions: A Crisis Murphy Helped Create;

     The PJM grid operator’s capacity auctions have recently skyrocketed in cost, and Murphy has tried to shift the blame. But the truth is clear: those auctions became more volatile precisely because states like New Jersey shut down reliable plants too quickly while flooding PJM with “planned” renewable projects that never materialized. Murphy can write letters to federal regulators all he wants — the damage was already done by his own policies.

Growing Demand, No Real Supply;

     Murphy loves to talk about electrification — electric vehicles, electric heating, and data centers — but he has done virtually nothing to prepare the state’s grid to handle that increased demand. When you push residents and businesses toward all-electric living without securing enough affordable power, the math is simple: shortages drive up prices. And those shortages are exactly what New Jersey families are paying for today.

Hidden Costs, Open Wallets;

     Every new mandate Murphy pushes — solar subsidies, renewable credits, transmission upgrades — comes out of the pockets of ratepayers. These aren’t abstract “investments” in the future; they are line items on monthly bills. A so-called “green revolution” that drains family checking accounts isn’t progress — it’s bad policy.

Band-Aid Relief, Not Solutions;

     Murphy recently approved one-time bill credits and subsidies for low-income households, essentially admitting that his policies have driven energy costs out of control. But throwing a few hundred dollars back at residents after taking thousands from them through inflated rates is political theater, not leadership.

Just Another Failure: Murphy’s Legacy of Higher Bills;

     Governor Murphy has repeatedly promised New Jersey a cleaner, more affordable energy future. Instead, he has delivered the opposite: shuttered plants, delayed projects, skyrocketing costs, and families left scrambling to pay their utility bills. His energy agenda is not a “transition” — it’s a failure that ordinary New Jerseyans are forced to pay for every single month.