ROUND UP: Rate Hikes Continue to Pile Up as Trump Spends Even More Taxpayer Dollars to Take Energy Off the Grid

Trump has now spent almost $2.5 billion in taxpayer dollars to stop offshore wind projects from being built

Washington, DC — As Donald Trump continues taking money out of Americans’ pockets to escalate his war on wind energy, ratepayers are paying the price with higher utility bills across the country. Trump and congressional Republicans’ attacks on clean energy have canceled or delayed 395 clean energy projects, squeezing energy supply as demand from data centers skyrockets and electricity prices have spiked by 16% since Trump took office. 

From their utility bills to the gas pump, Americans are facing higher costs thanks to Donald Trump. On top of his disastrous energy policies, his war of choice in Iran has sent inflation soaring to multi-year highs, with experts agreeing that relief is not likely to come anytime soon. 

Nevada

• NV Energy proposed a $500 million wildfire insurance policy funded by its ratepayers that would add approximately $3 per month to electric bills for northern Nevada customers and 21 cents per month for southern Nevada customers.

Ohio

• The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio recommended that SOBE Energy Solutions enact a 145% rate increase for natural gas customers during the winter months, paired with a 75% increase during non-heating months.

Maine

• Two floating offshore wind farms in the Gulf of Maine were included in the Trump administration’s $765 million deal with Invergy to terminate these leases and two others. The company owned the rights to two leasing areas, offering 1.6 GW and 1.8 GW of clean energy capacity, respectively.

Tennessee

• The Lexington Board of Aldermen approved an ordinance to increase gas rates for residents by 60 cents per month.

West Virginia

• The West Virginia Public Service Commission agreed to allow Appalachian Power to raise electricity prices by 2.8% beginning July 1. This rate hike was estimated to increase monthly bills by $4.84.

California

• The Palo Alto City Council approved a 9% gas bill increase and a 4.5% electric bill increase for residents. The hike would increase the average residential electric bill by $4 per month, and increase the average residential gas bill by $7.30 per month.
• San Diego Gas & Electric filed a request for an 8.6% rate hike for gas and electric customers beginning in 2028. The rate hike would add roughly $14.03 per month to the average residential electric bill and $8.45 per month to the average residential gas bill compared to 2027 rates.
• The Even Keel Offshore Wind project, a proposed floating offshore wind project located in the Morro Bay Wind Energy Area off California’s central coast, was part of the Trump administration’s effort to stop offshore wind projects from being built. The administration paid Invenergy $765 million for terminating this lease and three others. The project was expected to generate enough energy to power about 1 million homes.

Missouri

• The Columbia Water and Light Board recommended a 6% increase in all base and consumption charges for electric customers to cover operating costs.

Montana

• NorthWestern Energy filed a rate increase with the Montana Public Service Commission that would raise the average electricity bill for a residential customer to $131, up from an average cost of $124.34 in May.

Multiple States

• Rivian announced it was laying off “hundreds” of employees, representing less than 2% of its workforce. The layoffs were attributed to a restructure of the company’s service and customer organization teams.
• Lucid announced it would lay off 18% of its U.S. workforce as part of its efforts to boost profitability. The layoffs were expected to impact about 1,500 employees. These cuts come four months after Lucid cut 12% of its workforce in February 2026.