Climate Power En Acción Launches Six-Figure Spanish-Language Ad Campaign to Reach Latinos Facing Rising Energy Costs

“El Precio Que Pagamos” will reach Spanish-speaking and bilingual Latino audiences in Arizona, California, and Colorado as utilities pursue billions in rate increases and gas prices rise

WASHINGTON — As rising energy costs put more pressure on Latinos, Climate Power En Acción is making a six-figure investment to reach audiences across YouTube and Vevo programming. En Acción today launched “El Precio Que Pagamos” (“The Price We Pay”), an ad campaign focused on helping Spanish-speaking and bilingual Latinos understand what is driving higher gas prices and energy costs and the decisions behind them.

The campaign will run through late November across Arizona, California, and Colorado, using streaming and digital video alongside Latino music, artists, and creators to reach audiences in key media markets. Utilities across the three states have proposed or enacted billions of dollars in rate increases since 2025, and gas prices have increased by over a dollar in the last year in all three states, adding to pressure on household budgets.

“Latinos’ are paying more and more every month,” Climate Power En Acción Executive Director Antonieta Cádiz said. “What we hear in our communities is that people are choosing between paying the light bill and buying groceries, keeping the air conditioning off in 110-degree heat because they are afraid of what arrives at the end of the month, and every day struggling with gas prices that only rise. That is the price we pay. Utility companies are raising rates and protecting their profits while the regulators and representatives who are supposed to help lower costs ignore people who are hurting. This campaign seeks to ensure families know who is making those decisions so they can take well-informed action.”

The campaign launches as the affordability crisis continues to hit Latino communities. Utility companies in the three states have enacted or proposed billions in rate hikes. Nationally,28% of Latino households already carry a high energy burden, spending more than 6% of their income just to power their homes.

Meanwhile, the companies sending those bills are posting healthy returns. Southern California Edison takes 26.1% of the average customer’s bill as profit. Tucson Electric Power keeps 16.8%, and Xcel Energy in Colorado keeps 15.4%. At the same time, Arizona regulators have repealed the state’s renewable energy standard and stripped $50 million from energy efficiency programs, cutting off the cheapest tools families have to lower bills.

Key figures on rate hikes in Arizona, California and Colorado:

• In Arizona, Tucson Electric Power requested a 13.7% rate increase that would add $19.43 to monthly bills, as utilities reported record demand during 117-degree heat.
• In California, at least 14 utilities have pushed rate hikes affecting 13.8 million electricity customers since 2025.
• In Colorado, Xcel Energy’s latest request would leave electric bills up 33% since its last increase.
• Across all three states, data centers are driving up electricity demand — California alone projects a 50% rise — raising the risk that households pick up the tab for the buildout.

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