New survey examines hot-button issue – energy production

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The FDU Poll and the Fuel Merchants Association of New Jersey teamed up on a new poll that gauges New Jerseyans’ feelings about energy production.

Conducted between Feb. 23-Feb. 28, 2025, the survey engaged 1,476 registered voters in the state.

It comes at a critical time for this very issue, which NJBIZ has reported on, as the increased demand for electricity – especially involving AI, data centers and electric cars or heat pumps – combines with rising supply costs. The nexus has led to a hike on many New Jerseyans’ energy bills.

In three different contexts, the survey asked the respondents about the need for more electrical distribution, as well as how they felt the state should tackle the issue:

• Economic development:
  • 34% greater use of nuclear energy
  • 29% more natural gas power plants
  • 19% not make investments
  • 17% don’t know
  • 1% refused
• Support for climate friendly technologies – and what kind of power plants New Jersey should focus on building:
  • 32% natural gas plants
  • 30% green energy plants
  • 29% nuclear plants
  • 8% don’t know
  • 1% refused
• The need to replace aging nuclear power plants (which supply about 40% of electricity currently to New Jersey), especially if they have to be shut down before other options like offshore wind energy come online:
  • 36% natural gas plants
  • 35% green energy plants
  • 17% don’t know
  • 12% nuclear plants
  • 1% refused

The poll also broke down the findings along gender, race and political ideology. You can view the full findings here.

‘No easy choices’

“There are no easy choices here for most voters,” said Dan Cassino, a professor of government and politics at Fairleigh Dickinson University, and the executive director of the Poll. “Every potential source of electricity has real trade-offs, especially with offshore wind off the table for the time being.”

“As electricity costs are spiking in New Jersey, state residents are overwhelmingly against importing power that includes coal energy and prefer nuclear or natural gas as options since wind is clearly not an option anymore,” said Eric DeGesero, executive vice president of the Fuel Merchants Association of NJ.

Support for nuclear could especially be found amongst young voters – with 40% of those 30 and under saying they would support building more nuclear plants to replace the aging ones.

“A lot of the opposition to nuclear power comes from people who remember Chernobyl or Three Mile Island,” said Cassino. “Voters who don’t remember nuclear disasters and are more concerned about climate change don’t see any problems with having more nuclear in the mix.”

Cassino noted that older voters especially are hesitant about nuclear energy.

“And see natural gas as a safer alternative,” he added.

A ‘flip’ to natural gas

DeGesero said the poll is clear: New Jerseyans want to limit price spikes and ensure a sufficient energy supply now.

“So, we can’t depend on a delay and pray ‘plan’ for expanding nuclear capacity as that’s best case a decade away,” said DeGesero. “We need to flip the switch on natural gas plants today.”

Cassino said people want all of these new technologies, such as AI.

“But there’s just no agreement on how to power them. Whichever direction the state goes is guaranteed to upset someone,” he explained.

He pointed to offshore wind, which has been dealt a number of severe blows that have clouded the sector’s future.

“The Murphy administration has been holding out for offshore wind to get the electricity we need,” said Cassino. “Right now, though, it just doesn’t look like that’s happening any time soon – so the choice is between nuclear, natural gas, and just importing the energy and hoping that it’s relatively clean.”