Thread by @MikieSherrill

If you were appalled by your utility bill this month, you’re not alone.

New Jerseyans are bearing the brunt of failures by our grid operator, PJM. And today, we found out they’re raising rates again.

Here’s how I’ll address PJM’s mismanagement and lower your utilities 🧵1/13

PJM, the grid operator for 65 million people across 13 states, holds an auction to set utility rates New Jersey families will pay the following year. Auction prices are determined by supply and demand for energy on our grid. As demand for energy has surged, it’s more critical than ever that we have enough energy supply on our grid to lower utility prices. 2/13

But PJM hasn’t done that. Instead, they’re blocking new energy projects from connecting to the grid, 90% of which are clean energy and some of which have been awaiting approval for YEARS.

And now, New Jersey families and businesses are paying for it. 3/13

These clean energy projects are ready to get up and running – meaning they can help fight utility price hikes right now. But PJM continues to hold them up, while propping up expensive fossil fuel plants – guaranteeing higher rates, less reliability, and more pollution. 4/13

PJM just held another flawed capacity auction this month, and as a result, utility prices are set to increase by up to 5% (or $140/year) next year, in addition to this year’s 20% spike. 5/13

Even worse? The @Jack4NJ backed Republican spending bill is now sabotaging new, cheap, clean energy projects. It guts tax credits for solar projects – which will cancel hundreds of projects statewide, destroy thousands of jobs, and increase utility bills by another $240 each year. 6/13

But New Jersey’s next governor can make a real difference.

@Jack4NJ will lead this state further into an energy & affordability crisis, all to appease Donald Trump and his all-out attack on energy affordability.

But when I’m governor, I’ll put New Jersey ratepayers first. 7/13

First, I’ll cut through needless red tape to install community solar projects on state properties, capped landfills, and brownfield sites right away. Solar is the cheapest source of electricity and the fastest to build – rapid installation will reduce utility prices immediately. 8/13

Second, I’ll join with other governors in the region to take on PJM and force them to connect their massive backlog of energy projects – 95% of which are clean – which will quickly unlock significantly more generation and drive down your electric bills. 9/13

Third, we need a reliable source of electricity generation that can meet our state’s need for decades to come – and that’s nuclear power. I’ll work with neighboring states to harness economies of scale and expand safe nuclear power capacity in New Jersey at a low cost, which will provide clean electricity for generations. 10/13

Right now, nine bipartisan governors are holding PJM accountable with some securing a price cap for ratepayers – and I’m ready to do the same.

I’ll force PJM to fill vacant board positions with public-minded members and take them to court when they don’t prioritize ratepayers. 11/13

You’re going to hear a lot of lies from @Jack4NJ because 1) he’s a career politician with no plan to lower utility costs and 2) he wants to deflect from his blind support for Trump’s bill that is going to jack up your utility bill. 12/13

But we don’t have time for that nonsense – and you can’t afford it. When I’m governor, I’ll get right to work with a real plan to fix this mess, drive down electricity rates, and secure our clean energy future. 13/13