During her inaugural speech, Governor Mikie Sherrill signed two Executive Orders (EO) to declare a State of Emergency on Utility Costs.

Executive Order No.1 uses existing funds to offset electricity bill increases coming in June. Additionally, the EO empowers the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to pause or modify utility actions that could further increase bills and allows the Board to review utility business models to ensure alignment with delivering cost reductions to ratepayers.

Executive Order No. 2 declares a State of Emergency under the Disaster Control Act and creates and expands multiple, expedited state programs to develop new power generation in New Jersey. It also directs state agencies to identify permit reforms to more rapidly deploy new energy projects and directs the BPU to take action on artificial intelligence “ghost loads” by requiring electric utilities to report on energy requests from data centers. Finally, the EO establishes a Nuclear Power Task Force to position the state to lead on building new nuclear power generation.

After the speech concluded, Governor Sherrill signed four more Executive Orders on affordability, children's online safety and mental health, and transparency in state government.

Executive Order No. 3 establishes the ethical standards to be followed by public employees and officers serving in the Sherrill administration, including continuing the personal financial disclosure statement requirements for designated public employees and officers, a provision for establishment of a blind trust for certain public employees and officers, and the disclosure of a public employee or officer's interests in closely held corporations or other business entities. It also continues the Code of Conduct applicable to the Governor and Lieutenant Governor.

Executive Order No. 4 establishes the Office of the Chief Operating Officer (COO) within the Office of the Governor. The order outlines key roles and responsibilities of the COO, as well as the structure of the Office and how state agencies will interact with the Office of the COO. Previously, Governor Sherrill announced that Kellie Doucette would be New Jersey’s first COO.

Executive Order No. 5 establishes a Cross-Agency Permitting Team, within the Office of the Chief Operating Officer, and requires state agencies to catalog all the types of permits they issue and submit this information to the Cross-Agency Permitting Team. It also establishes a Regulatory Simplification Team, within the Office of the Chief Operating Officer, to reform state regulatory structures and processes to reduce project delays and costs.

Executive Order No. 6 creates a new office within the Department of Health to coordinate whole-of-government efforts to keep kids safe online and directs all state agencies with jurisdiction over issues pertaining to children and their interaction with technology platforms to prioritize children’s mental health outcomes.

To read the Executive Order press release, click here. 

To read Governor Sherrill’s full inaugural speech, click here.