Governor Phil Murphy on July 8 signed two bills aimed at helping New Jerseyans manage rising energy costs.
The first, A5736/S4532, updates notification requirements for the Energy Bill Watch program. Under the law, natural gas and electricity providers must alert customers on the 10th and 20th day of each billing cycle—via text or email—with real-time updates on how much their energy use is costing.
Supporters say the measure gives ratepayers time to reduce their consumption before receiving a high bill, especially during extreme heat or cold.
The second bill, A5466/S4318, directs the Board of Public Utilities to study the impact of energy-intensive data centers—particularly those supporting artificial intelligence systems—on statewide electricity costs. Analysts will review two decades of usage data to determine whether these centers are contributing to rising generation and distribution rates for residential and commercial customers.
“Things like data centers for artificial intelligence consume enormous amounts of electricity, and so we want to make sure that if they are going to set up shop in New Jersey, that’s fine—that they don’t do that on the backs of New Jersey ratepayers,” said Sen. Andrew Zwicker (D-South Brunswick), a co-sponsor of the legislation.
On June 1, electricity bills for New Jersey customers rose by an average of $20 per month, following an annual auction by PJM Interconnection, the regional transmission organization that delivers power to local utilities.
As artificial intelligence systems expand, lawmakers say it’s increasingly important to understand the environmental and financial implications.
“The high-tech data centers that are proliferating throughout the state consume a large amount of electrical power at a time when energy costs are increasing for ratepayers,” said Sen. John Burzichelli (D-Paulsboro). “We need to know if their impact on the energy supply is causing rate increases for everyday consumers. This information will help protect residential ratepayers from being forced to subsidize high-profit data centers.”
