MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY – Today, public servant, Montclair mom of three, and energy cost nonprofit leader Cammie Croft laid out an aggressive agenda to bring down utility bills by producing more energy and holding those responsible accountable. Cammie’s non-profit was falsely attacked by President Trump as part of his attacks on clean energy, and she was personally attacked by Republican Senator Chuck Grassley on the Senate floor.
Cammie Croft’s first policy planks focus on rooting out corruption and self-dealing in government, from the Trump White House to both parties in Congress, striking at special interest control of Washington so it can truly serve the American people.
- Solar for everybody who wants it, as long as they stay connected to the grid to bring down rates for everybody. This policy would profoundly improve America’s energy affordability future in one fell swoop, starting immediately. America is entering an energy crisis caused by the collision of increased demand from data centers and AI and the absurdly corrupt attacks on our clean energy supply from Trump and Republicans in Congress. We have the technology to prevent our bills from skyrocketing even more, we just need a Congress that will take decisive action. By offering free rooftop solar and battery storage to every home owner or business that wants it, as well as federal, state, and local government buildings, we can dramatically reduce demand and stabilize the grid to stop the crisis. By buying American-made solar, we can spur a robust domestic industry that can carry us through generations, bring down costs of the panels, and installations by buying in bulk, and stabilize our grid to avoid blackouts and price hikes during the hottest parts of summer and coldest parts of winter. It can be paid for by repealing a small fraction of Trump’s tax cuts for billionaires.
- Make Data Centers pay their fair share. The Union of Concerned Scientists found that in 2024, data centers increased electric bills by $4.3 billion in seven states, including New Jersey. Generative AI systems like OpenAI’s ChatGPT will require approximately 84 GW of power by 2030, the equivalent of adding another Texas to the grid. That means higher bills for all of us, both from demand and the need for more grid infrastructure. These global, multi-trillion dollar companies need to pay their fair share, both by being required to invest in grid infrastructure and helping fund solar for anybody who wants it.
- Tie utility executive compensation to rate hikes. If the CEO of a utility oversees massive rate hikes, they are doing a bad job, and they should not be getting bonuses. Utilities are essentially government-enforced monopolies, and so our government should ensure that their pay rewards them for keeping our rates low and penalizes them for failing the people whose government they rely on. There are utilities across the country who are trying to be part of the solution, and others that are part of the problem, and we need to change the incentives so all of them start being part of the solution.
“Just paying our utility bills shouldn’t be so dang hard, and Democrats need to be the party that takes bold action to end the corruption that is driving them up, and actually fix the problem of skyrocketing utility bills to massively expand cheaper, cleaner energy supply,” Cammie said. “Trump is driving a mass closing of clean energy projects because he made a ‘deal’ with lobbyists and billionaire donors at Mar-a-Lago. Our utility executives are showering themselves with huge salaries and bonuses while our rates go up 22%. And the trillion-dollar tech companies are driving up costs for us while they build Trump a gold-plated ballroom. We need much less corruption, and much more energy to bring our utility bills down.”
In Congress, Cammie is committed to working with Governor-elect Sherrill on her bold plan to freeze rates and build out New Jersey’s clean energy production. In Washington she will focus on lowering costs, ending corruption, and investing in a stronger future for New Jersey families. She plans to fight to lower the prices of groceries, energy, and everyday essentials, while pushing for reforms that hold Washington accountable to working people. She also believes a massive expansion of clean, affordable energy is key to cutting utility bills and creating good jobs, instead of trying to ban it as Donald Trump and Republican extremists are trying to do.
Raised in a small railroad town, Cammie was the first in her family to graduate from college. Inspired by her working mother’s example of grit and generosity, who grew up in Passaic County and was raising four children by the age of 20, Cammie dedicated her career to public service. In the Obama White House, she helped pass the Affordable Care Act, ending discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions. At Amnesty International, she fought to expand human rights at home and abroad, and during the Trump presidency, she advocated for humane, bipartisan immigration reform. Most recently, she helped build a nonprofit from the ground up that helped families save money on their energy bills by making clean power affordable, until the Trump Administration unlawfully froze its funding.
“Running for Congress was never part of my plan,” Cammie said in a video announcing her campaign. “But I realized that one day my kids will ask me what I did, and when they ask, I need to be able to tell them that I did everything I possibly could.”
Cammie’s work will build on the strong foundation laid by Congresswoman and now Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill. She will continue the fight to protect health care, stand up to corruption, and deliver critical investments in infrastructure and education. For more information, visit CammieforCongress.com