Trump Promised to Cut Energy Bills in Half. They Rose 13% Instead

Clean Energy Cuts Fuel Rising Costs

President Trump spent the 2024 campaign promising to slash Americans’ energy costs by 50% within his first year.

He said it over and over at rallies in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and North Carolina. Now, nearly 12 months into his second term, electricity bills are heading in the opposite direction.

A new report using federal data shows power costs have jumped 13% since January. The reasons involve a mix of policy choices and a power-hungry technology boom that nobody saw coming.

Bills Up 13% in 2025

Electric bills across the country have climbed 13% in 2025, according to an analysis of U.S. Energy Information Administration data.

The report points to the massive spending bill Trump signed in July as a key driver, claiming it is removing cheaper, cleaner energy sources from the grid while funding tax breaks for oil and gas companies.

Another analysis found U.S. households are paying 9.6% more in utility bills this year compared to 2024.

Nearly 1 million Texas households alone are now in utility debt.

July Law Ends Renewable Tax Credits

The law Trump signed on July 4 ends tax incentives for wind and solar projects and is expected to drive up electricity bills across the country.

Wind and solar projects that begin construction after July 4, 2026, will only qualify for credits if they are placed into service by 2028.

In Oklahoma, homeowners and businesses could see electricity rates shoot up between 60% and 350% over the next decade. Kentucky could see increases of at least 48%, Missouri 39%, and Kansas 30%.

The congressional delegations of those states are overwhelmingly Republican.

Five Offshore Wind Farms Suspended

The Trump administration announced it is suspending federal leases for all large offshore wind projects currently under construction, citing national security risks identified in classified reports.

The suspension impacts five projects being built in the Atlantic Ocean, including a massive Virginia offshore wind farm that could eventually be the largest in the nation.

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey slammed the move, noting that Vineyard Wind has employed nearly 4,000 people in her state.

The project was nearing completion and already producing 572 megawatts of power.

Data Centers Devouring Power

The data centers that power artificial intelligence are driving up electricity prices for households, and relief may not be coming anytime soon.

Data centers are expected to consume anywhere from 6.7% to 12% of total U.S. electricity by 2028, up from 4.4% in 2023.

Wholesale electricity costs as much as 267% more than five years ago in areas near data centers, and those costs are being passed on to customers.

Virginia, home to the world’s largest cluster of data centers, is seeing some of the steepest increases.

Solar for All Program Killed

The EPA announced in August it is terminating its $7 billion Solar for All program that was designed to bring renewable and affordable energy to low-income communities.

The program had provided funding to 60 grant recipients planning to enable 900,000 households across the country to use solar energy to reduce their home energy bills.

More than 20 states have since sued the EPA, alleging the termination was unconstitutional and caused them harm.

Oregon alone was set to receive nearly $87 million.

80,000 Clean Energy Jobs Stalled

More than 80,000 clean energy jobs have been lost or stalled between Trump’s election in November 2024 and September 2025.

Companies have canceled, delayed, or laid off staff at 142 energy projects in 37 states, representing over $42 billion in lost investment.

Hundreds of new power projects set to be built over the next five years were canceled because of the administration’s crackdown on renewables, local opposition, and difficulties connecting to the grid.

Wind, solar, and battery storage made up 93% of the scrapped projects.

Red States Face Steepest Hikes

States without their own policies to drive renewable energy development will be hit hardest by the loss of federal tax credits.

Texas, which has seen 26 clean energy projects negatively impacted this year, has been the biggest loser from the administration’s policies.

About 54% of canceled projects, 40% of delayed projects, and nearly 45% of grant cancellations are located in congressional districts represented by Republicans.

The GOP is effectively hurting its own constituents with these energy policies.

Consumers Subsidize Data Centers

Consumers served by the largest electric grid in the U.S. will pay $16.6 billion to secure future power supplies just to meet demand from data centers from 2025 through 2027.

About 90% of that bill, or $15 billion, is to pay for future data center demand, according to the grid’s independent market monitor, which called it a massive wealth transfer from consumers to the data center industry.

The average residential bill in the PJM region is expected to rise by $18 a month in western Maryland and $16 a month in Ohio.

Campaign Promise vs Reality

Trump said in September 2024 that his goal would be to cut energy costs in half within 12 months after taking office.

He repeated versions of this promise throughout the campaign, telling Michigan voters in late August it could take 18 months at maximum.

Trump recently claimed at the U.N. General Assembly in September 2025 that energy costs are down, but federal data shows costs have been rising.

Retail electricity prices have gone up since 2022 and will likely continue rising through 2026.

White House Points Finger at Biden

A White House spokesperson said fixing the energy crisis Biden created has been a priority for Trump since day one, claiming Biden’s green energy policies sent electricity prices soaring more than 30% over four years.

The spokesperson said Trump’s policies cut unnecessary and burdensome regulatory costs, enabling producers to increase supply and lower prices for American families.

But experts say blocking cheap renewable energy while doubling down on fossil fuels makes no economic sense at a time when electricity demand is surging.

Higher Bills Ahead Through 2035

Estimates show electricity bills in some states could increase upwards of $400 in the years ahead as fewer wind and solar projects get built.

Analysis shows national average household energy bills will increase by $78 to $192 and industrial energy costs will rise by $7 to $11 billion by 2035.

Average annual electricity costs could go up by more than $100 per household by next year, and possibly $200 in certain states.

The country cannot meet its growing energy needs without renewables, and right now, those projects are being shelved.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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