As Skyrocketing Utility Bills Compound Pain at the Pump, Democrats Embrace Clean Energy as Solution
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Trump and Republicans were elected on a promise to cut energy costs, but instead, they gutted cheap, reliable clean energy across the country and sent costs soaring
Democrats in swing districts and states are running on clean energy
Washington, DC – Even before Trump’s war that led to prices at the pump breaking records, Republicans were losing by double digits due to another energy cost pain point: utility bills. In New Jersey, Virginia, and Georgia’s 2025 elections, Democrats went on offense against Republican clean energy cuts, embraced more clean energy as a core solution, and blew out expectations in the election.
In the 2026 midterms, Democrats have combined those attacks with new critiques on the Iran War and data centers to make this the “energy election,” and are once again leaning into clean energy – which is overwhelmingly popular with the American people – as the path forward. Trump and Republicans’ budget bill canceled or stalled over 400 clean energy projects here at home, squeezing supply as demand skyrocketed. At the same time, they’ve pushed for virtually unregulated data center expansion, spiking utility bills by as much as 18% nationally in the past year.
Ahead of Election Day, voters are blaming Republicans for putting Trump and their fossil fuel donors over the American people: 54% of voters blame Republicans for higher energy costs, and they trust Democrats over Republicans to lower utility bills. Soaring utility bills have become a “midterm weapon”, with more than $138 million spent in political ads about energy bills in the third quarter alone, the majority from Democrats.
Climate Power Senior Advisor Jesse Lee issued the following statement: “The Republican budget bill was a utility bill bomb, gutting our clean energy supply while super-charging data center energy demand. It exploded our utility bills as much as 18% nationwide, it destroyed Republican candidates in 2025, and now Democrats are holding Republicans accountable in the midterms. Americans understand that more clean energy is a central affordability solution, and Democrats are running to answer that call.”
Democratic candidates across the country are holding Republicans accountable for sending electricity prices through the roof, including:
Roy Cooper (NC-Sen): “We now have a demand for power unlike anything we’ve ever seen. And we have a Congress and a president… that has wiped away the gains that we made in clean energy that would have helped add energy to the grid.”
Mary Peltola (AK-Sen): “Alaskans are desperate for renewable energy for our own homes and our own communities. Let’s get serious about that for our own sake.”
Sean McCann (MI-04): “Bill Huizenga voted to open the door to data centers in Michigan. He also voted to cut clean energy. We’re paying for all these bad decisions, in higher utility bills and lost jobs.”
Joanna Mendoza (AZ-06): “Juan Ciscomani claimed to support clean energy, renewables, all those things, and then turned around and voted against them… My top concern is ensuring that constituents have the ability to pay for their energy to cool their homes.”
Gov. Josh Shapiro (PA): “The most consequential way we can lower energy prices is by generating more energy. It’s simple supply-and-demand… diversify our energy sector to generate more renewables. My plan will save consumers an estimated $664 million.”