Energy prices continue to drive public opinion in New Jersey, with a majority of voters coming out in favor of anything that could bring down prices.
The latest results from the FDU Poll, in partnership with the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE), show voters favor an “all of the above” approach to expanding power generation, with majorities supporting natural gas, renewable and nuclear power in the state. Voters also want a moratorium on new data centers until more power plants are built.
“Freezing electric bills helps, but it doesn’t solve the long-term problem or bring costs back down to where they used to be,” said Dan Cassino, a professor of government and politics at Fairleigh Dickinson University and executive director of the poll. “The state needs to expand capacity, and voters don’t seem to care too much how we do it, so long as it gets done.”
Respondents were asked about their support for four different proposals that could bring down energy prices: building various kinds of power plants (natural gas, nuclear and renewable) and banning the construction of new data centers until more power plants can be built. All the proposals have the support of a majority of voters in New Jersey, but the extent of that support and the constituencies for each vary widely.
The extent to which Garden State voters favor an “all of the above” approach can be seen in how many respondents favor all, or most, of the proposals. Eighteen percent said that they supported all four of the proposals, and another 40% supported three out of the four. Just 10% supported zero or one of them. Gov. Mikie Sherrill endorsed a diversified strategy to increase New Jersey’s electricity generation and bring down prices to consumers.
“Governor Sherrill is leading in the right direction to support an ‘all of the above’ generation strategy that includes natural gas generating plants that could include a transition to hydrogen production once it is a more available alternative,” said Greg Lalevee, business manager for IUOE Local 825. “New Jersey voters understand we need to be quickly producing more energy in our state to make electricity more affordable.”
The construction of natural gas plants – which can come online faster than other types of power plants – gets the highest marks from voters. Seventy-six percent of voters say that they favor building new natural gas plants, with relatively little variation across party lines. Support is highest (83%) among Republicans but is at 70% among Democrats.
“Even voters who might prefer green energy options want something done fast,” said Cassino. “Electricity bills are up right now, and voters are in favor of anything that can be done to bring them down in the short term.”
The construction of more renewable energy plants, using solar or wind, is nearly as popular among voters, with 67% supporting that, but views of these plants are highly polarized. While the construction of natural gas plants gets high marks across the board, it’s Democrats (90%), who want more renewables, while only 38% of Republicans do.
“Voters take their cues from party leaders,” said Cassino. “Republicans from President Trump on down have been vocally opposed to new renewable plants, and their supporters are following suit.”
Nuclear plants are the least popular of the three options, but even there, a majority (56%) favor their construction. Republicans (65%) are more supportive than Democrats (48%). New Jersey currently gets about half of its energy from nuclear plants, but they are aging and will likely need to be overhauled or replaced in upcoming years.
Since taking office, Gov. Sherrill continues to take action to show that New Jersey is open for business. By removing outdated barriers and creating a clear path for modern nuclear technologies, the governor is ensuring that New Jersey can meet growing energy needs with reliable, 24/7, carbon-free power that supports economic growth for decades to come.
On April 8, Sherrill signed legislation at the Hope Creek Nuclear Generating Station to accelerate new nuclear development in the state by removing an outdated permitting hurdle that had created a de facto moratorium on new nuclear power plants. Sherrill also launched a Nuclear Task Force, whose members include NJBIA President & CEO Michele Siekerka, to advance the pursuit of modern nuclear energy.
The FDU poll found that on the demand side, 65% of voters favor a ban on the construction of new data centers in New Jersey until more power plants can be built. While proposals like this have traditionally been bogged down by attempts to find a balance between environmental and economic concerns, support for a ban runs across party lines: 61% of Republicans support it, alongside 69% of Democrats.
“New Jersey voters are sending a clear message: the operators of new data centers need to show how their facilities will not raise rates,” said Lalevee. “Ideally, they might even be able to generate surplus power and feed it into the state grid. If they can do that, people will be a lot more receptive.”
The proliferation of data centers – especially in Virginia – has been cited as a driver of increased electricity bills throughout the East Coast. Currently, data centers use about 5% of electricity in New Jersey.
“Rightly or wrongly, voters blame data centers for their increased electricity bills,” said Cassino. “The argument that doing so would hurt the state economy doesn’t help when people are worried about their own finances.”
