Trump is Spending a Billion Taxpayer Dollars to Take Energy Off the Grid as His War Sends Energy Costs Soaring

Trump has canceled or stalled enough clean energy to power more than 14 million homes as demand soars

A report found that Trump’s crusade to block wind and solar power could nearly double the rate hikes and broader inflation from data center buildout 

Washington, DC – Trump is spending a billion taxpayer dollars to stop offshore wind from being built, which would have lowered electricity costs and protected Americans from global oil shocks. These projects would have powered millions of homes but Trump has waged an all-out war on wind energy since day one, killing jobs and increasing utility bills by as much as 13%. Now, he’s delivering for his oil and gas donors by using taxpayer dollars to take their energy competition off the grid, leaving America’s families to pay the price with skyrocketing utility bills as his war in Iran spikes prices at the pump by a dollar per gallon. 

Climate Power Senior Advisor Jesse Lee issued the following statement: “In the midst of a global energy crisis of Trump’s own making, this is an example of Trump making energy costs higher on purpose, taking money straight from the pockets of families struggling to get by to put in the pockets of his donors — and spending a billion tax dollars to do it. These projects can get energy onto our grid quickly – giving Americans relief on their utility costs, creating jobs, and lowering pollution. But because Trump doesn’t like the view from his Scotland golf course and he wants to satisfy the oil and gas billionaires who funded his campaign, he’d rather pull the plug on wind than lower costs for Americans. Natural gas is not fast enough to give us the energy we urgently need now. For Trump, it’s billionaires  and petty vendettas first, America’s families last.” 

Trump has waged an all-out war on clean energy, taking cheap, reliable energy options off the grid as demand skyrockets: 

• Donald Trump and Republicans have gutted clean energy projects across the country as data centers and AI send demand soaring, spiking household electricity costs by as much as 13%. 
• Trump and congressional Republicans’ budget bill canceled or stalled 362 clean energy projects, prevented $61 billion in investment, and put 179,629 jobs on the chopping block. 
• Clean energy is the least expensive and quickest power source to bring online and costs 30 to 60 percent less than new gas plants to produce the same amount of electricity.  
• Trump’s vendetta against wind began when he threw a temper tantrum because wind turbines looked “ugly” from his golf course in Scotland. 
• In the first half of 2025, solar and wind energy generation outpaced electricity demand, growing globally by 31% and 7.7.%, respectively,  and generated more power than coal for the first time on record.
• Solar and onshore wind farms typically take less than two years to build, while gas-fired power plants can take seven years and can require construction of additional pipelines, and nuclear takes 10 years.
• Trump’s attacks on clean energy have already taken nearly 25 GW of planned generation off the grid, and Trump’s clean energy cuts are anticipated to take another 340 GW. Trump’s crusade to block wind and solar power could nearly double the rate hikes and broader inflation from data center buildout. 
• 84% of Americans say their utility costs have gone up over the past year, even more than those who said the same about groceries and health care.
• Trump’s approval on energy has dropped 19 points—a historic low on what was supposed to be his strongest issue. Before the war in Iran, 50% said Trump was actively making energy prices worse (vs. only 31% better).