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Clean-Energy Governors Win in New Jersey and Virginia With Plans to Cut Power Bills

Voters endorsed swift clean-energy plans to tackle soaring utility costs.

Overview

  • New Jersey's Mikie Sherrill won with just over 56% and says she will declare a state of emergency on utility costs on day one and freeze residential rates, adding that utilities have agreed to negotiate.
  • Virginia's Abigail Spanberger won with just over 57% and is advancing an Affordable Virginia Plan centered on expanding offshore wind and incentivizing rooftop and community solar paired with battery storage.
  • Spanberger also backs nuclear, geothermal, fusion and hydrogen and says data centers should cover their grid costs, while Dominion disputes consumer subsidization and is seeking higher profit-driven rate increases.
  • Electricity prices rose about 21% in New Jersey and about 6.7% in Virginia over the past year, sharpening concerns over affordability and grid reliability highlighted in both campaigns.
  • Georgia voters elected Peter Hubbard and Alicia Johnson to the Public Service Commission, unseating incumbents who had approved six rate hikes over two years.