1 Year In, Trump’s Broken Promises Mean Soaring Energy Costs for Americans
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 14, 2026
CONTACT: Gabrielle Levy, Glevy@cacampaign.org, 562-673-6974
1 Year In, Trump’s Broken Promises Mean Soaring Energy Costs for Americans
Trump’s attacks on cheap, clean energy have resulted in billions in surging costs being passed along to American families.
WASHINGTON–Almost one year since Donald Trump returned to office, Americans are paying the price for his relentless, reckless attacks on clean energy, affordable energy champions in Congress said Wednesday.
Despite his campaign trail promise to cut energy costs in half in the first 12 months of his administration, Trump’s policies undercutting clean energy and propping up expensive and outdated coal and gas plants, alongside Congress cancelling clean energy investments in the Big Ugly Bill, are instead responsible for driving up utility bills nationwide.
At a press conference on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, affordable energy champions in Congress marked the impending 1-year anniversary of Trump’s inauguration to call out his broken promise to slash energy bills for Americans in half his first year in office. Lawmakers, joined by climate advocates, highlighted the fallout from the Big Ugly Bill and the Trump administration’s regulatory and executive actions increasing reliance on fossil fuels.
“We’re now one year into Donald Trump’s second term in office, and the facts speak for themselves: The Trump Administration has failed to deliver on its promises, and American families are paying the price with higher utility bills,” said SEEC Vice Chair Congressman Mike Levin, D-Calif., one of the lead authors of the Cheap Energy Act. “Energy bills are higher, not lower. Jobs are down, not up. Families are stretched thinner. And the clean energy future that would lower costs, strengthen our energy independence, and keep America competitive is being deliberately dismantled. We’re here today to hold this Administration accountable, and to make clear that we will keep fighting for an energy policy that actually works for families.”
Trump and Congressional Republicans have spent the past year delivering massive tax breaks for the wealthy and eliminating clean energy investments that were delivering abundant, cheap renewable power to meet growing demand. Meanwhile, American families are being crushed by soaring energy costs, forced to choose between their health and their savings, between food and keeping the lights on.
“Donald Trump doesn’t hate clean energy because it’s clean. He hates it because it’s cheap," said Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill., a lead author of the Cheap Energy Act. "From his first day in office, he’s made it his mission to limit American’s access to cheap energy, all in the name of increasing profits for his friends in the fossil fuel industry. As a result, energy bills across the country have skyrocketed. Americans deserve access to affordable and reliable energy. It’s past time we have a national energy policy that puts consumers first.”
The American people overwhelmingly support expanding the development and deployment of clean energy, but that hasn’t stopped the Trump administration from attacking it at every turn. Analysis shows projects cancelled due to Trump administration policies and the Big Ugly Bill would have powered up to 13 million homes, easing demand and lowering costs. Clean energy like solar and battery storage, and wind, is the cheapest and fastest way to increase the supply of electricity to meet growing demand, ease the burden on our power grids and provide relief for staggering electricity bills.
“While families struggle to pay their utility bills, the Trump Administration and House Republicans have caused costs to rise even higher across the country," said Rep. Robert Menendez, D-N.J. "We need to be having serious conversations about how we meet growing energy demands due to AI data centers and pursue policy that gets clean energy connected as quickly as possible. We’ve seen clean energy work to lower prices in states that embrace them. House Democrats are ready to act on solutions to generate more sources of energy and lower costs.”
“For all his talk about lowering energy costs, President Trump has prioritized tax breaks for corporate donors and billionaire friends over everyday Americans—gutting clean energy programs, opening public lands, and using the U.S. military to steal Venezuelan oil—rather than delivering for American families who are facing skyrocketing bills,” said Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-NM. “I’m proud to stand against these egregious handouts and fight for the hardworking people of this country to champion clean, affordable, renewable energy that will lower costs, create good paying jobs, and create a better planet.”
“Bringing down the cost of living for working families is just one of President Trump’s many empty promises," said Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev. "Ratepayers in Southern Nevada are on the edge of an affordability cliff as the Trump Administration slashes tax incentives for solar energy production and federal funding to help folks access this abundant resource. President Trump’s anti-clean energy agenda is killing jobs, threatening our energy independence, and increasing utility bills."
"Donald Trump promised to cut electricity bills in half, but one year into his presidency, average household electricity bills are rising at more than twice the rate of inflation,” said Trevor Higgins, senior vice president of the Energy and Environment Department at the Center for American Progress. “At a time when the electricity system needs more energy, not less, the Trump administration is terminating federal investment incentives and blocking clean energy projects. These actions will stick households with higher electricity bills for years to come.”
The full recording of today’s press conference is available here.
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About the Climate Action Campaign
Climate Action Campaign (CAC) is a vibrant coalition driving ambitious, durable, equitable federal action to tackle the climate crisis. By cutting carbon pollution and accelerating the transition to clean energy, we will improve public health and create a more resilient economy and a more sustainable future for all.
