Trump’s Empty Promises Won’t Lower Utility Costs
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Washington, DC – In tonight’s State of the Union address, Donald Trump announced a new “Rate Payer Protection Pledge,” that companies need to voluntarily choose to adhere to, as electricity costs continue skyrocketing thanks to his policies. Trump promised to cut energy costs in half in his first year in office, but instead, utility bills spiked 13%. Trump and Republicans have taken a sledgehammer to clean energy projects — the only sources that can keep up with demand from data centers, lower costs, and get more energy onto our grid.
Climate Power Senior Advisor Jesse Lee issued the following statement: “Tonight, Trump continued his record of gaslighting and making empty promises to the American people, as he continues to send their bills through the roof. Trump promised to cut utility bills in half, but they spiked 13% on his watch, all while his billionaire donors get even richer. GOP candidates lost at the ballot box because of energy prices in November, and Trump’s empty promises are nothing more than a pathetic attempt to do damage control. If Trump and Republicans were serious about lowering costs, they’d focus on bringing more made in America clean energy onto the grid – instead, they’re trying to ban it. And as Americans open higher and higher utility bills each month, they aren’t going to fall for it.”
Energy costs are soaring under Trump’s watch, and his policies won’t lower bills:
- Electricity prices spiked by up to 13% in communities nationwide, with the average U.S. household paying $116 more on its electricity bills in 2025 than in 2024.
- Since the beginning of his second term, utility companies have raised or sought to raise rates on American families by at least $92 billion, resulting in higher bills for at least 112 million electric customers and 52 million gas customers.
- Trump’s clean energy cuts are expected to increase electricity rates by up to 18% by 2035, resulting in an additional annual $170 increase in household energy bills.
- Trump gutted assistance for families struggling to afford their utility costs, firing all LIHEAP employees and delaying billions in LIHEAP funding for weeks during and after his government shutdown.
- Tech companies specifically lobbied against the clean energy cuts in the Republican budget bill, saying “energy is the pacing challenge of our industry.”