FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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April 21, 2005

Graham Elected SJI Chairman

FOLSOM, N.J. -- Today, at its reorganization meeting which followed its annual
meeting of shareholders, South Jersey Industries' (NYSE:SJI) board of directors
elected Edward J. Graham as board chairman. Graham will continue to serve as the
company's president and chief executive officer.

"Ed's election today is the final step in a structured succession plan that the
board of directors began implementing in 2002. The board continues to be
confident in the company's ability to grow and prosper under Ed Graham's
leadership," said Charles Biscieglia, SJI's out-going chairman. "As chairman,
his guidance in matters of corporate governance and policy will continue to be
of enormous value to the board," added Biscieglia.

"I'm extremely pleased to be assuming this new role and appreciative of the
confidence the board has placed in me," said Graham. "Over the past six years,
our company has become a leader in the energy industry. That would not have
happened without a strong and focused management team; a talented and dedicated
workforce; and an engaged and committed board of directors," added Graham. "With
these essential elements in place, I'm certain that we've created a platform
from which we will continue to achieve the financial results that our
shareholders have come to expect from SJI," Graham concluded.

Graham, who joined the company in 1981, has held a variety of senior executive
positions in SJI and its subsidiaries. In 2000, he was elected as both president
of South Jersey Energy and vice president of SJI. In 2003, the board named
Graham as president of South Jersey Gas, South Jersey Resources Group and Marina
Energy; and, president and chief operating officer of SJI. In 2004, he became
the president and CEO of South Jersey Gas and SJI. Graham was elected to SJI's
board of directors in early 2004.

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Graham holds an MBA in Finance & Investment from Drexel University. He currently
serves as a director of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, the New Jersey
Utilities Association and is the treasurer for the South Jersey Healthcare
Foundation. Also, he is a member of the American Gas Association Leadership
Council and the vice chairman of the Rowan University Foundation Board. Graham
resides in Sewell, NJ with his wife Jane and their daughters Kelsey and Stefany,
and son Kevin.

SJI's board also named W. Cary Edwards as its lead independent director. The
lead director's principle responsibility is to chair meetings of the independent
directors and to guide the board in those circumstances when the chairman is not
present. This action represents the board's continuing attention to best
practices for corporate governance. Edwards, who was elected to SJI's board 12
years ago, currently chairs the compensation and pension committees and serves
as a member of the executive, environmental and management development
committees. Edwards is currently the chairman of the New Jersey State Commission
on Investigation and is a partner in the law firm of Edwards & Caldwell. Edwards
had served as New Jersey's Attorney General under former governor Thomas Kean,
from 1986 to 1989.

The board also named Sheila Hartnett-Devlin, CFA as the chairman of its audit
committee. She is one of the audit committee designated financial experts.
Hartnett-Devlin was elected to SJI's board in1999 and has served as a member of
the audit committee since joining the board. Hartnett-Devlin was formerly with
Fiduciary Trust Company, where she was employed for 24 years. She was elected an
officer of Fiduciary in 1985, leaving the company in 2004 as executive vice
president. She holds both a BBA and MBA in finance from Pace University, and is
currently a member of the board of directors for Mercy Investment Program, Inc.

South Jersey Industries (NYSE:SJI) is an energy services holding company for
South Jersey Gas, South Jersey Energy, South Jersey Resources Group, Marina
Energy and South Jersey Energy Service Plus. Visit http://www.sjindustries.com
for more information about SJI and its subsidiaries.

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