Against the backdrop of rising power bills in a gubernatorial and legislative election year, a new survey released this week shows 80% of New Jersey voters think their electric bills are already too high and express concern about their own economic outlook.
The Natural Allies for a Clean Energy Future, a nonprofit coalition of industry leaders, trade associations, and other stakeholders, released survey results Thursday showing New Jersey voters, by a 37-point margin, are more likely to support a political candidate who advocates for including more natural gas in the Garden State’s energy mix (63%).
Only 26% of those surveyed said they would support a candidate who wanted to continue the current Murphy administration's zero-carbon policies, and 11% were unsure. Among independent voters, 69% said they favored candidates who advocate for including more natural gas in the energy mix to increase power supply and lower prices.
An overwhelming majority of New Jersey voters (72%) said consumers should be able to choose what energy source works best for them, compared to those who support moving away from natural gas toward electrification of buildings and homes (16%).
In fact, the most popular of six proposed solutions to fix the energy supply-and-demand crisis facing New Jersey is an “all-of-the-above energy strategy” that includes natural gas working in partnership with renewable energy (66% support).
Key survey findings include:
- 82% of New Jerseyans are concerned about their economic situation
- 80% of New Jerseyans think their electric bills are too high
- 84% of New Jerseyans say that when it comes to energy consumption, affordability is most important, followed by reliability (66%) and climate change (40%).
A 20% increase in electric rates, approved by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, went into effect on June 1 because increased demand and lower supply caused a rise in electricity auction prices.
Although the Murphy administration had placed the blame on the region’s electric grid operator, PJM, NJBIA Deputy Chief Government Affairs Officer Ray Cantor said the administration shares some responsibility because it has shut down generation and discouraged the development of clean natural gas facilities.
“As energy bills increase across the Northeast in an already uncertain economic environment, it is no surprise that residents care first and foremost about affordable and reliable energy,” former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and Natural Allies Leadership Council co-chair said in a statement on Thursday.
“Coming out of the 2024 election, Democrats need to find their way back to common sense policies that put affordability and kitchen table issues first,” Nutter said. “It’s where independent and working-class voters are. Advancing balanced energy policies that include renewables and natural gas is key to tackling our energy affordability crisis and climate challenges together.”
The survey found that natural gas and solar are the two most popular forms of energy. Solar power is viewed favorably by 66% of the state’s voters, followed closely by natural gas (60%). Nuclear (47%) and offshore wind (44%) are popular, but less so. Even among Democrats, natural gas is viewed favorably by a 30-point margin (47-17%) and nearly 50-point margin among Independents (59-10%).
“New Jersey voters across the political spectrum want to return to a balanced energy policy that prioritizes affordability and reliability while also reducing emissions, and that only happens when natural gas works with nuclear and renewables to lower emissions, stabilize costs, and keep the lights on,” said Mike DuHaime, founder and CEO, MAD Global Strategy, which conducted the survey.
This is an election year in New Jersey, when voters will elect a new governor and Assembly members. Term limits in the state Constitution prevent Gov. Phil Murphy from running for a third term. Democrat and Republican voters will select their political party’s standard-bearers in the gubernatorial and Assembly races on Primary Day, Tuesday, June 10.
The survey results are based on the responses of 500 registered New Jersey voters contacted May 14-18, as part of a larger eight-state regional survey in the northeastern U.S. about energy-related issues. The margin of error for specific New Jersey results is +/- 4.38%. Complete survey results can be viewed here.
