NJ Voters Back All Energy Options to Lower Electricity Bills

Jersey voters are done waiting. A new poll from Fairleigh Dickinson University shows that when it comes to energy costs, residents want relief and they don’t much care how they get it.

The FDU Poll, conducted in partnership with the International Union of Operating Engineers, found that a majority of New Jersey voters back an “all of the above” approach to expanding the state’s power supply. That means natural gas, nuclear, renewables, and even a ban on new data centers until more generation capacity comes online. All four proposals pulled majority support. Fifty-eight percent of respondents backed three or four of them.

The numbers are striking across party lines. Natural gas plants drew the most enthusiasm, with 76 percent of voters in favor. Republicans came in at 83 percent support, Democrats at 70. Even among progressive voters, 60 percent said yes to new natural gas construction. That’s not a small number for a policy that environmentalists typically fight hard against.

Dan Cassino, a Professor of Government and Politics at Fairleigh Dickinson University and the Executive Director of the FDU Poll, put it plainly. “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,” he said.

The thing is, this isn’t just impatience. It reflects something real. New Jersey electricity rates have climbed steadily, and the state’s grid faces real strain from population growth, electrification of heating and transportation, and the explosion of power-hungry data centers across the region. Natural gas plants can come online faster than nuclear or most large-scale renewable projects, which explains why voters reached for that option first.

Governor Mikie Sherrill ran on this exact approach during last year’s gubernatorial race and won. Her endorsement of an “all of the above” generation strategy appears to track closely with where the electorate actually stands.

Greg Lalevee, Business Manager for IUOE Local 825, said Sherrill is moving in the right direction. “New Jersey voters understand we need to be quickly producing more energy in our state to make electricity more affordable,” he said.

The data center ban is one of the more surprising findings. Not great for an industry that New Jersey has spent years courting for tax revenue and jobs. But voters see those facilities as a drain on the grid, and the poll suggests they want construction halted until supply catches up with demand. That’s a significant political signal for any legislator who’s been friendly to the industry.

Cassino was direct about the limits of partial measures. “Freezing electric bills helps, but it doesn’t solve the long-term problem or bring costs back down to where they used to be,” he said, according to reporting from InsiderNJ. “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.”

That last part is worth sitting with. New Jersey has been fighting internal battles over offshore wind, pipeline infrastructure, and nuclear plant futures for years. Voters, apparently, have moved past the ideological debate. They want the lights on and the bills manageable.

Trenton should take the hint.