Key Contacts
New Jersey Governor Sherrill’s Environmental Priorities
On January 20, 2026, Governor Mikie Sherrill was sworn in, succeeding Governor Phil Murphy, who was term limited from running for a third term. We expect Governor Sherrill to continue with many of her predecessor’s environmental policies, such as taking strong action to address statewide flooding exacerbated by climate change, remediate contaminated properties within the state, and protect state residents from contaminants in drinking water, most notably lead and PFAS. However, we expect the Sherrill Administration to take a somewhat different tack on energy policy and focus primarily on reducing the cost of energy. Although Sherrill has historically been a strong supporter of wind power, in light of the current headwinds faced by off-shore wind coming from Washington, D.C., we understand that the Sherrill Administration may take a pragmatic approach to off-shore wind projects and put them on a back burner while the Administration focuses on quicker ways to reduce energy costs, including electric generation from solar, natural gas, and nuclear, and structural changes to New Jersey’s energy market.
The Governor kept her promise to declare a State of Emergency on Utility Costs on her first day in office by signing two Executive Orders aimed at lowering utility costs within hours of being sworn in. The first, EO-1, effectively freezes electricity supply rates, which were set to increase in summer 2026, by using existing funds to offset these increases, and directs the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to conduct and issue a study examining various pathways to reduce energy costs to ratepayers. The second, EO-2, declares a State of Emergency and directs the BPU to: accelerate the development of solar generation, battery storage, and grid stabilization projects; modernize natural gas power plants to make them cleaner and more efficient; and develop a plan to address “ghost loads” from large consumers, namely data centers, which may be artificially inflating demand projections and impacting electricity supply. EO-2 also creates a Nuclear Power Task Force, which is directed to formulate and implement strategies for the development of new nuclear generation facilities within the state.
With regard to water, Sherrill has stated that she will strongly support continuing the state’s work in replacing lead service lines and has expressed her concern regarding PFAS contamination and its impact on overburdened communities.
Although the Governor’s plans for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) had been kept close to the vest, the Sherrill Administration recently nominated Ed Potosnak as Commissioner of NJDEP. Potosnak is the Executive Director of the New Jersey League of Conservation voters and has focused his career on promoting development of clean energy, climate resilience, environmental justice, and land preservation. Potosnak has indicated that he intends to streamline permitting processes to balance development with protection of the State’s environmental resources. We expect Potosnak, if confirmed, to advance the Sherrill Administration’s goals to promote Brownfield redevelopment and enhance flood resilience, likely building on what the Murphy Administration has achieved over the past eight years, although what form this will take has yet to be determined. We also expect NJDEP to remain a national leader in its crusade against PFAS, including the adoption of surface water quality standards for PFNA, PFOA and PFOS.
