New Jersey Senate Republican Leader Anthony M. Bucco (R-Morris, Passaic) is urging immediate action to address rising energy costs, calling on Governor Mikie Sherrill to consider Republican-led proposals that would deliver immediate relief and sustained relief for New Jersey families.
“Ending New Jersey’s decades-old moratorium on nuclear power plants was a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done to actually bring energy costs down,” said Senator Bucco. “I’ve heard from concerned constituents in my district, and the dollar amount that people are paying on their monthly bills is not decreasing. That is a clear sign that the current policy of freezing electricity rates is not working.”
According to a new report from the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee, New Jersey experienced the largest regional spike in energy bills in 2025 (16.9%) compared to Pennsylvania (12.1%) and Delaware (6.1%). Experts are warning that additional price spikes could occur in the coming months.
Senator Bucco and fellow Republican lawmakers in the Senate have proposed a series of initiatives to directly lower energy bills, which were frequently dismissed by Governor Sherrill’s predecessor.
Among the Republican-led proposals is Senator Bucco’s legislation, S2463, to withdraw New Jersey from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). Recognizing that RGGI was causing consumer energy bills to skyrocket, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (D), pulled out of RGGI in 2025.
“For months, I’ve warned that New Jersey’s participation in RGGI only serves as a hidden tax on energy that gets passed directly onto residents who are already struggling to afford their bills,” said Senator Bucco. “If other Democrat governors are pulling out of RGGI, why can’t we? Taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize an ideological agenda that is making our state less affordable and less competitive.”
Senate Republicans have also introduced the following bills to address rising costs:
* S2466, introduced by Senator Anthony Bucco (R-Morris, Passaic) and Senator Kristin Corrado (R-Bergen, Essex, Passaic). This bill would lower the state sales tax from 6.625 percent to 6 percent, effectively lowering costs on everything from energy to groceries; and
* S1932, introduced by Senator Latham Tiver (R-Atlantic, Burlington) and Senator Joe Pennacchio (R-Morris, Passaic). This bill would suspend the sales and use tax and the Societal Benefits charge (SBC) on electric and gas bills, saving the average household hundreds of dollars in energy costs.
