- In our Spotlight on Business report tonight, rising electric bills are hitting wallets hard across the Garden State this summer, grabbing headlines and putting pressure on state leaders to take action.

At the heart of the problem is soaring demand for electricity across the region, driven largely by the rise of AI data centers and not enough electric supply to keep up.

Well, a special hearing of state lawmakers last week tried to find solutions for that problem while also pursuing New Jersey's clean energy goals.

Ted Goldberg reports.

- This is, I think, a challenging but exciting time in the energy world.

- As energy costs keep climbing, Board of Public Utilities President Christine Gulsadovi placed the blame mostly on higher demand while speaking at a joint meeting from the Senate and Assembly Environment Committees.

- The primary driver is data centers and the development, our data centers, and the development of AI.

In fact, PJM notes that 30 of the 32 gigawatts of anticipated new load in the PJM region by 2030 is driven by data centers.

- We are seeing enormous amount of load growth across the entire PJM footprint that we have not seen since the 1970s.

- It took less than 15 minutes for Assemblyman Jerry Scharfenberger to ask the million dollar question.

- With electric bills set to rise as a result of the state auction, what actions are you taking so that the next auction does not result in these drastic increases?

- Bringing more fast resources online is the best way to address the rising prices.

- Gulsadovi said the answer to rising prices is a mix.

She explained that solar gets on the grid faster than fossil fuels, while not wanting to phase out fossil fuels at the same time.

- We are not looking to retire natural gas generation at a time when we need capacity.

If the cost of clean energy is less expensive and it comes online more quickly, then that should really be our focus.

- There's also nuclear.

Leaders on both sides of the aisle have called for more nuclear power and adding small module reactors, or SMRs, technology that could be the future of the shuttered Oyster Creek nuclear plant in Ocean County.

- We invested nearly $2 billion in the nuclear plants in South Jersey to keep them running and generating electricity.

- This administration did not shut down the Oyster Creek plant.

The decision to close that plant was spurred by economic and infrastructure issues during the previous administration.

- Lacey officials are ready with open arms to facilitate, whether it's the SMR or gas power, whatever we can do to get something there to help increase our generating capacity.

- We need to develop nuclear power in the state.

Nuclear power that will be all manufactured right here in the state.

The designs were developed in the state.

- Gul Sadovi said Oyster Creek is too far along in the decommissioning process to be brought back online like it used to be and blamed the Trump administration for helping to halt offshore wind.

- In a resource-constrained environment, reliable offshore wind projects could save PJM and New Jersey rate payers billions of dollars.

The federal administration's actions are hindering our ability to bring new clean energy resources online.

- That doesn't mean the ocean has been phased out entirely.

One of the panels that addressed the committees explained that New Jersey's waves could be a perpetual source of clean energy.

- Wave energy is not like solar and wind.

It's 24 hours around the clock.

The waves don't stop.

- Rhode Island, Texas, Florida, others are moving much faster by providing clear test sites and streamlined opportunities for marine tech companies like ourselves.

New Jersey has a real opportunity to flourish in the sector.

- New Jersey has about 140 miles of shoreline, and while all current wind projects are on hold, those shorelines could possibly be worth a second look.

In Point Pleasant, I'm Ted Goldberg, NJ Spotlight News.

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