TRENTON, New Jersey — New Jersey consumers are going to face high energy prices “for some time” and the region is at risk for blackouts unless new power plants are built, a senior official from the regional grid operator told state lawmakers on Friday.
A joint legislative hearing on skyrocketing power prices amounted to a dual trial of Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy’s energy policies and the grid operator, PJM Interconnection LLC, which oversees the 13-state transmission network and power market New Jersey relies on for much of its electric supply.
Democrats bashed PJM and Republicans bashed Murphy. The lengthy joint meeting was called by a special Senate committee tasked with exploring energy issues and the Assembly’s utilities committee. Lawmakers from both parties generally agreed on the need to quickly build new power supplies.
“We know we need more generation,” said state Board of Public Utilities President Christine Guhl-Sadovy.
