This won’t be a surprise: A newly released survey shows that 80% of New Jersey voters feel their electric bills are already too high — and they are expressing concern and anxiety about their own economic outlook.
This is why it’s important: During the coming gubernatorial election, New Jersey voters —by a whopping 37% — said they are more likely to support a political candidate who advocates for including more natural gas in the Garden State’s energy mix to increase power supply and cut costs (63%), rather than a candidate who continues the zero-carbon policies of Governor Murphy (26%).
Want more: The results show a clear majority of the state’s vital independent voters (69-18%), or those who many feel ultimately could determine the winner.
The survey, commissioned by Natural Allies for a Clean Energy Future, a coalition of industry, labor, end users and other stakeholders, found that an overwhelming majority of New Jersey voters (72%) believe consumers should be able to choose what energy source works best for them, compared to those who support moving away from natural gas toward electrification of buildings and homes (16%).
In fact, the most popular of six proposed solutions to fix the energy supply-and-demand crisis facing New Jersey is an all-of-the-above energy strategy that includes natural gas working in partnership with renewable energy (66% support).
Michael Nutter, the co-chair of Natural Allies and former mayor of Philadelphia, said the results are telling.
“As energy bills increase across the Northeast in an already uncertain economic environment, it is no surprise that residents care first and foremost about affordable and reliable energy,” he said.
“Coming out of the 2024 election, Democrats need to find their way back to common sense policies that put affordability and kitchen table issues first. It’s where independent and working-class voters are. Advancing balanced energy policies that include renewables and natural gas is key to tackling our energy affordability crisis and climate challenges together.”
The survey found that New Jersey residents are very concerned with their financial well-being, which correlated with their opinions on energy usage, policy, and resources:
- 82% of New Jersey voters are concerned with their current economic situation
- 80% feel that their electric bills are too high
The survey found that natural gas and solar are the two most popular forms of energy. Solar power is viewed favorably by 66% of the state’s voters, followed closely by natural gas (60%). Nuclear (47%) and offshore wind (44%) are popular, but less so. Even among Democrats, natural gas is viewed favorably by a 30-point margin (47-17%) and nearly 50-point margin among Independents (59-10%).
Mike DuHaime, founder and CEO of MAD Global Strategy, which conducted the study, said the views transcend political parties.
“New Jersey voters across the political spectrum want to return to a balanced energy policy that prioritizes affordability and reliability while also reducing emissions, and that only happens when natural gas works with nuclear and renewables to lower emissions, stabilize costs, and keep the lights on,” he said.
A recent study by the Progressive Policy Institute highlighted that low-income communities are most at risk in an energy transition without natural gas due to higher prices. In fact, the survey found that 67% of New Jerseyans agreed their state elected officials should focus on policies that reduce cost burdens on low-income communities, rather than advance a zero-carbon only future that could bring higher costs for those who can least afford it (11%).
The poll was commissioned by Natural Allies for a Clean Energy Future and conducted by MAD Global Strategy, a bipartisan public strategy firm led by DuHaime. The data is based on a text-to-web survey of 500 registered voters residing in the state of New Jersey, from May 14-18, as part of a larger 8-state regional survey (n=4,000) in the Northeastern United States on energy related issues.
