Press Releases

Washington, DC -Today, Congressman Van Drew released the following statement in response to the announcement that New Jersey utility companies are delaying the steep electricity increase that was set to take effect this month until the fall. While the hike is being postponed, consumers will still be expected to pay the full amount with the increase being spread out over a longer period of time.

"While delaying these higher bills is better than making people pay right away, it does nothing to solve the underlying issue," said Congressman Van Drew. "Families will still have to pay the full amount, just later. New Jerseyans deserve real, long-lasting relief instead of a temporary solution. What is truly unacceptable is that Atlantic City Electric (ACE) and Exelon continue to rake in profits while passing the burden of rising costs onto hardworking families. Instead of working to lower rates, they invest in unnecessary projects like smart meters, something no one wants, which only increases their profits. Meanwhile, they expect New Jerseyans to pay the bill. Now is the time for these companies to stop making things worse and start being a part of the solution.

"I am working at the federal level to implement policies that bring energy costs down and prevent big hikes like this from happening in the first place, but the State needs to start acting on long-term solutions like nuclear and gas. We need to fix the root causes of our energy deficit so we can lower costs and keep power reliable. The people deserve affordable utilities and a plan that actually fixes the problem, not one that just delays it."