FACT CHECK: Chris Wright Is Wrong. Clean Energy Lowers Costs.

Washington, D.C. – During an interview with CNN, U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright doubled down on Trump’s claims that renewable energy sources are a “con job” and a “scam.” Wright is wrong. Clean energy is the cheapest, quickest form of energy to add to the grid, and Trump’s war on clean energy is hiking costs across the country. Household electric bills are up 10% nationally since Trump took office, and are poised to spike even further. 

FACT: According to a June 2025 report, unsubsidized utility-scale solar and onshore wind remain the most cost-effective forms of new-build energy generation. In contrast, the cost of building a new combined cycle gas turbine has reached a 10-year high.

FACT: States that have experienced the largest increases in wind and solar generation have not seen electricity rates grow faster than average, with several leaders in clean energy growth seeing residential electricity costs rise more slowly than inflation.

FACT: Natural gas price volatility is a larger driver of electricity price spikes – the states most reliant on natural gas for electricity had the highest rate of retail price increases since 2020.

FACT: Repealing clean energy tax credits will increase every American’s energy bills. Energy Innovation found that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act would raise household energy costs by $170 per year by 2035.

FACT: Globally, wind power is now 53% cheaper than the lowest-cost fossil fuel resources.

FACT: According to a study from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, residential solar installations would save U.S. homes an average of over $1,900 on energy bills per year.

FACT: By the end of 2026, the U.S. is expected to more than double its utility-scale battery storage, reaching nearly 65 GW. Battery storage is also cheap; costs dropped by nearly 20 percent in 2024.