CIVIC ENGAGEMENT: Jeff Van Drew Demands NJBPU Resignations Over Atlantic City Electric Audit
The South Jersey congressman renewed his call for potential ratepayer refunds and demanded greater financial transparency from Atlantic City Electric following a federal audit.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Sept. 8, 2026, Atlantic City Focus reported that U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew was demanding refunds for Atlantic City Electric customers following a federal audit that identified five areas of financial noncompliance at the utility.
Raymond Tyler
Van Drew’s office has since issued another news release announcing that the congressman sent separate letters to Atlantic City Electric and the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities regarding the audit findings.
According to his office, Van Drew is demanding that Atlantic City Electric provide a full accounting of the financial issues identified by the audit and refund any ratepayers who were overcharged. He is also renewing his call for all members of the NJBPU board to resign.
“Atlantic City Electric needs to show us exactly how much money was improperly charged, where that money went, and whether those costs were ultimately passed along to families and businesses,” Van Drew said.
“The audit found overbilling at the transmission level, and those costs do not just disappear,” he continued. “Let’s be clear: These costs are part of the system people are paying for every month, and that burden is passed directly onto the ratepayer. If South Jersey families paid even one dollar more because of these failures, they deserve that dollar back.”
Van Drew also criticized the NJBPU for approving rate increases while, he said, Atlantic City Electric experienced years of financial compliance problems.
“The NJBPU does not get to escape responsibility here either,” Van Drew said. “This board approved rate increase after rate increase while people were getting crushed by their electric bills. Meanwhile, the company they were supposed to be watching had years of financial compliance problems.”
Van Drew argued that the state regulatory board should have identified the issues before the federal audit.
“The NJBPU is supposed to protect the public from this kind of thing,” he said. “Instead, people kept paying more, ACE kept making money, and it took a federal audit to uncover problems that should have been caught in New Jersey. That is why I am once again calling on the entire NJBPU board to resign.”
Van Drew concluded by calling on Atlantic City Electric to disclose additional financial information, issue any refunds that may be owed and reduce its rates.
“Now Atlantic City Electric needs to open the books, refund every dollar that is owed, and bring these rates down,” Van Drew said. “South Jersey families have paid enough.”
The assertions, interpretations and demands presented in this report are those of Van Drew and his office. They are not conclusions reached by Atlantic City Focus. Atlantic City Electric and the NJBPU should be given an opportunity to respond to the congressman’s latest statements.
(Editor’s note: Atlantic City Focus and Civic Engagement will continue following this developing story and will publish verified updates and responses as they become available.)
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