State Sen. Anthony Bucco said the state should consider slowing its plans for the offshore wind energy sector.
Bucco (R-Denville), citing research by the New Jersey Division of Rate Counsel, said mounting costs for developers likely will translate into higher energy bills for families and businesses.
“The (Gov. Phil) Murphy administration rushed to approve massive wind farms that developers now realize will cost much more to build than expected, due to high inflation, rising interest rates and supply chain disruptions,” he said.
“You can be sure the higher costs for these massive projects will eventually be passed on to consumers in the form of higher energy bills. This is part of the great price New Jersey will pay for Gov. Murphy’s push to electrify everything and replace affordable natural gas. It’s another reason to pump the brakes on wind farms and the governor’s increasingly expensive Energy Master Plan.”
Bucco, citing a story in NJ Spotlight News, said the Rate Counsel told staff of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities that new wind farm approvals could result in “drastically higher energy bills.”
The Division of Rate Counsel is an independent state agency that represents the interests of consumers of electric, natural gas, water/sewer, telecommunications, cable TV service and insurance.
