The energy bills are too damn high: The top issue in governor races in NJ and Va.

💸 Voters in Virginia and New Jersey say their electricity bills are skyrocketing — and it’s shaping both states’ governor’s races.

⚔️ Democrats back clean energy and climate action, while Republicans blame renewable mandates for rising costs.

🔋 Data centers, AI power demand, and political infighting fuel an energy affordability crisis.

If there’s agreement on anything in the two states with governor’s races this year, it’s that utility bills are a growing concern among voters.

One Virginia voter, Kim Wilson, lamented at a town hall recently that her electricity bill seems to go up every month, no matter how much she tries to cut costs. She was drawn to the event in part by its title: “The energy bills are too damn high.”

“It’s way too high,” Wilson said.

In New Jersey, Herb Michitsch of Kenilworth said his electric bill has climbed to nearly $400 a month — more than four times what it was when he and his wife moved into their home half a century ago.

NEW JERSEY ELECTION RESULTS: Full county-by-county vote totals on election night

“Something really has to be done,” Michitsch said.

That’s where the agreement ends. It’s what should be done that divides the parties.

Democrats push clean energy; GOP blames renewables for rising costs

Democratic candidates in Virginia and New Jersey are doubling down on clean energy initiatives like wind and solar, while Republicans are aligning with former President Donald Trump’s call for more traditional energy sources such as gas and coal.

New Jersey GOP nominee Jack Ciattarelli has acknowledged that human-caused climate change is real, but says Democrats have made electricity unaffordable through aggressive green energy policies.

At a New Jersey rally, Democratic state Sen. Vin Gopal said the elections could show whether voters want to keep President Biden’s climate strategy — or reject it in favor of lower costs.

“The whole country is watching what happens,” Gopal said.

AI boom and data centers blamed for soaring energy prices

People in both states are facing double-digit jumps in monthly bills. Experts say soaring demand from AI technology and data centers is driving up electricity use faster than utilities can keep up.

Virginia’s largest energy provider has already linked potential rate hikes to inflation and energy-hungry data centers that run around the clock.

Democrat Abigail Spanberger and Republican Winsome Earle-Sears are sparring over whether renewable energy expansion will stabilize or worsen the problem.

Spanberger wants to grow wind and solar projects — and make data centers “pay their fair share.” Earle-Sears scoffs at that idea: “If the sun isn’t shining and the breeze isn’t blowing, then what, Abigail?”

Offshore wind divides New Jersey candidates

In New Jersey, Ciattarelli has made rising electricity costs a rallying cry. He blames Governor Phil Murphy’s renewable energy agenda, including his decision to rejoin a regional carbon trading bloc.

“It’s been a failure,” Ciattarelli said at the final debate. “Electricity is at an all-time high.”

He has also railed against offshore wind projects, one of which was recently scrapped due to supply chain problems and high interest rates. Democrat Mikie Sherrill, his opponent, wants to freeze rates and boost cheaper renewable power.

“I know my opponent laughs at it,” Sherrill said.

Voters say power bills have become a breaking point

A recent AP-NORC poll found that 36% of U.S. adults consider electricity costs a “major source of stress.”

That anxiety has turned both governors’ races into proxy fights over energy policy. Environmental groups like Clean Virginia are backing Democrats, while Republican candidates have received major donations from Dominion Energy.

Virginia’s Clean Economy Act already requires utilities to phase out carbon-based energy by 2045, though some lawmakers want to roll that back.

“People can’t afford this,” said Republican Terry Kilgore, who tried and failed to amend the law earlier this year.

Energy developers say neither side can lower prices quickly — but expanding generation capacity will be key to long-term affordability.

“Voters should look to which candidate can stabilize prices,” said Evan Vaughn of MAREC Action.

For voters like Michitsch, who backs Sherrill, the choice feels simple.

“We need change,” he said. “And I think she is here to change things.”

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