As a physician, I understand that when families in New Jersey open their utility bills, they face more than just sticker shock — they confront a hidden health crisis.
Energy insecurity, defined as the inability to adequately meet household energy needs, affects as many as 1 in 3 U.S. households, and roughly 25 million households forego food or medicine needs in order to pay for energy. In 2014, more than 3 million households had their energy service disconnected because they could not afford their bills, and since that time the problem has only grown.
This energy insecurity results in devastating trade-offs as families, struggling to keep the lights or air conditioning on, often cut back on medications, delay doctor visits, or forego healthy food.
The health impacts are broad, including worsening cardiovascular disease, respiratory conditions like asthma, anxiety and depression, and food insecurity. Especially at risk are medically vulnerable populations that are less tolerant to increasing temperatures: pregnant women, very young children, and the elderly, who have a higher chance of dying at home due to lack of access to adequate air-conditioning and other cooling measures.
New Jersey needs leadership that recognizes that growth of clean energy is not only good policy for our pocketbooks, but also for our health. In New Jersey, where energy markets are shaped by the multistate PJM Interconnection, residents are paying some of the highest electricity prices in the region, with costs driven up by reliance on aging fossil fuel infrastructure and unacceptably slow adoption of cheaper, renewable energy.
Our next governor must reject the false narrative and challenge the power of fossil fuel companies and PJM’s entrenched interests in outdated technologies, and accelerate the rollout of clean, renewable energy that is not only cheaper but healthier.
Solar and onshore wind are now the cheapest forms of electricity generation, and the fastest to bring online to help offset growing demand and drive down rates. Expanding these sources will reduce energy bills, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and protect public health.
In addition, in this election New Jersey has the opportunity to send a message to the country and Congress that we will not sit by while the fossil fuel interests that are responsible for driving climate change continue to hurt our families’ budgets, damage our health, and compromise our children’s futures.
No family should be forced to choose between paying their electric bill or purchasing their medications.
I encourage all readers to take time to learn what gubernatorial candidates are saying they will do in their own words and vote accordingly.
By electing a leader who will double down on bringing more clean, cheap energy to our state, New Jersey can chart a path toward a healthier, more sustainable, and more affordable future.
Brian Lestini is a pediatric oncologist who lives and works in New Jersey. The views expressed solely represent those of the author.