{"id":375224,"date":"2025-04-16T08:46:43","date_gmt":"2025-04-16T06:46:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=375224"},"modified":"2025-04-16T08:46:45","modified_gmt":"2025-04-16T06:46:45","slug":"lowering-energy-costs-in-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=375224","title":{"rendered":"Lowering Energy Costs in America"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Watts Up With That?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Jake Morabito<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Upon returning to the White House, President Trump immediately outlined a vision for a new \u201cGolden Age of America,\u201d unabashedly powered by American innovation and American energy dominance. If we hope to restore manufacturing, win the global AI race, jump-start the auto industry, and increase our housing supply, we need to increase our energy supply \u2013 and fast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, many communities are quite literally paying the price for poor policy choices. For example, New Jerseyans are bracing for an upcoming 20% hike in electricity rates<\/a> this summer, while residents of Wyoming, Idaho, and Utah consistently pay a fraction of the price<\/a> for power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what led to this stark dichotomy in energy affordability in the first place? There are some clear trends in the data that help explain why Americans in New England are often charged nearly twice as much as Mountain West states for their electricity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To help make sense of America\u2019s energy landscape, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) just published its annual energy affordability rankings across the states, studying the practical effects of state legislation on electricity prices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Setting aside the geographic outliers of Alaska and Hawaii, the 10 states with the most expensive average electricity prices\u2014California, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New York, Maine, Vermont, New Jersey, and Maryland\u2014have all enacted impractical clean energy mandates, all subscribe to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative or a comparable cap-and-trade regime, and all have state-mandated policies subsidizing renewables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, the best 10 states for energy affordability\u2014Wyoming, North Dakota, Idaho, Utah, Nebraska, Washington, Oregon, Iowa, North Carolina, and West Virginia\u2014chose a different path. These states have largely implemented more market-driven policies, resulting in a diverse and competitive mix of generation sources that boosts reliability and consistency in rates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of the more affordable states, only Oregon partakes in a cap-and-trade program, five states declined to impose renewable portfolio standards on their electricity production, and three states have friendlier policies on net metering that avoid burdening ratepayers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Idaho, just over half of the state\u2019s electricity is derived from conventional hydroelectric energy, a quarter comes from natural gas, and the final quarter results from a combination of wind, solar, and wood. The Gem State plays to its regional strengths and avoids the strict government policies that artificially increase the cost of generation or subject residents to burdensome carbon taxes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new ALEC research confirms what many policymakers and industry leaders have warned for years: Too much government meddling in the energy market leads to higher energy costs for all. State legislators should implement policies that avoid preferencing one favored energy source, such as offshore wind, and instead pursue the energy mix demanded by residents and ratepayers in a competitive marketplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A bipartisan group of governors<\/a> from states such as West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania is also exploring how laws like the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) might be reformed to accelerate the permitting process, streamline infrastructure development, and increase resiliency and consistency across the grid. This will help speed the development of new and much-needed projects using a range of generation sources, from solar and wind to natural gas, and even nuclear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And finally, legislators in states like New Jersey should reconsider whether participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, renewable portfolio standards, and net metering are still in the best interest of their constituents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

States need to act now with new production and expanded grid capacity to support the coming electricity demand. Unfortunately, many states have pursued misguided progressive policies that have directly contributed to higher energy prices for years. These policies have left those states with a fragile energy infrastructure that fails to meet the everyday needs of ratepayers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By incorporating proven policy solutions in a competitive energy marketplace, state leaders can unlock America\u2019s latent energy and natural resource potential, deliver abundant power to families cooling their homes or commuting to work, and equip our businesses to succeed in our evolving economy. This approach will foster energy affordability and reliability for all Americans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The erosion of our energy infrastructure by progressive activism was completely avoidable. It must be corrected quickly for America to live up to the promise of a Golden Age and maintain its position as the world\u2019s most prosperous and productive economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jake Morabito is senior director of the Energy, Environment, and Agriculture Task Force at the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC<\/a>).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article was originally published by RealClearEnergy and made available via RealClearWire.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Upon returning to the White House, President Trump immediately outlined a vision for a new \u201cGolden Age of America,\u201d unabashedly powered by American innovation and American energy dominance. If we hope to restore manufacturing, win the global AI race, jump-start the auto industry, and increase our housing supply, we need to increase our energy supply \u2013 and fast.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":375228,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691823433,691824796,691834524,691823546,691833487],"class_list":{"0":"post-375224","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-ai-artificial-intelligence-2","9":"tag-american-legislative-exchange-council-alec","10":"tag-golden-age-of-america","11":"tag-national-environmental-policy-act-nepa","12":"tag-us-president-donald-j-trump","14":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/0IMG_0457.png?fit=1344%2C768&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1zC0","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":429630,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=429630","url_meta":{"origin":375224,"position":0},"title":"Trump II\u2019s \u2018Nuclear Renaissance\u201d: A Government Play","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"05\/03\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"On January 26, the U.S. Department of Energy released the Fact Sheet, \u201cThe Energy Department Is Delivering on Accelerating the Deployment of Nuclear Power, subtitled \u201cPresident Trump is Unleashing America\u2019s Next Nuclear Renaissance.\u201d","rel":"","context":"In \"Biden Administration\"","block_context":{"text":"Biden Administration","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=biden-administration"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AQMc34Xy50IJnGEzqnhtV-OE370xk01bLhet0og8BXUasDppZZO9_1RRiYr7Bsrc6XO3xj9epvWnYBQODGI-tLVbn064SyPdTLyfwhV3_lO7OSNw2U__700mWmsyhHKt.jpeg?fit=1150%2C732&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AQMc34Xy50IJnGEzqnhtV-OE370xk01bLhet0og8BXUasDppZZO9_1RRiYr7Bsrc6XO3xj9epvWnYBQODGI-tLVbn064SyPdTLyfwhV3_lO7OSNw2U__700mWmsyhHKt.jpeg?fit=1150%2C732&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AQMc34Xy50IJnGEzqnhtV-OE370xk01bLhet0og8BXUasDppZZO9_1RRiYr7Bsrc6XO3xj9epvWnYBQODGI-tLVbn064SyPdTLyfwhV3_lO7OSNw2U__700mWmsyhHKt.jpeg?fit=1150%2C732&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AQMc34Xy50IJnGEzqnhtV-OE370xk01bLhet0og8BXUasDppZZO9_1RRiYr7Bsrc6XO3xj9epvWnYBQODGI-tLVbn064SyPdTLyfwhV3_lO7OSNw2U__700mWmsyhHKt.jpeg?fit=1150%2C732&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AQMc34Xy50IJnGEzqnhtV-OE370xk01bLhet0og8BXUasDppZZO9_1RRiYr7Bsrc6XO3xj9epvWnYBQODGI-tLVbn064SyPdTLyfwhV3_lO7OSNw2U__700mWmsyhHKt.jpeg?fit=1150%2C732&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":420902,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=420902","url_meta":{"origin":375224,"position":1},"title":"How One Arrest Could Refill the Strategic Oil Reserves Biden Drained","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"11\/01\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The Trump administration\u2019s capture of socialist Venezuelan dictator Nicol\u00e1s Maduro has thrown the region into uncertainty while presenting opportunities that could give the U.S. a geopolitical and economic advantage.","rel":"","context":"In \"Nicol\u00e1s Maduro\"","block_context":{"text":"Nicol\u00e1s Maduro","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=nicolas-maduro"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AQM1LwVCdTWsBCNLj2Ms9age1TphWeFUNnWCIkBxoyj9uB9gWwGNexkGpT3JlxI9UJGHakwggKCsJVOY1_kzJDvzmLlKYzaEgfKFqjPPCnn6CYovfA-YxTED0TaI2rZf.jpeg?fit=1200%2C686&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AQM1LwVCdTWsBCNLj2Ms9age1TphWeFUNnWCIkBxoyj9uB9gWwGNexkGpT3JlxI9UJGHakwggKCsJVOY1_kzJDvzmLlKYzaEgfKFqjPPCnn6CYovfA-YxTED0TaI2rZf.jpeg?fit=1200%2C686&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AQM1LwVCdTWsBCNLj2Ms9age1TphWeFUNnWCIkBxoyj9uB9gWwGNexkGpT3JlxI9UJGHakwggKCsJVOY1_kzJDvzmLlKYzaEgfKFqjPPCnn6CYovfA-YxTED0TaI2rZf.jpeg?fit=1200%2C686&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AQM1LwVCdTWsBCNLj2Ms9age1TphWeFUNnWCIkBxoyj9uB9gWwGNexkGpT3JlxI9UJGHakwggKCsJVOY1_kzJDvzmLlKYzaEgfKFqjPPCnn6CYovfA-YxTED0TaI2rZf.jpeg?fit=1200%2C686&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AQM1LwVCdTWsBCNLj2Ms9age1TphWeFUNnWCIkBxoyj9uB9gWwGNexkGpT3JlxI9UJGHakwggKCsJVOY1_kzJDvzmLlKYzaEgfKFqjPPCnn6CYovfA-YxTED0TaI2rZf.jpeg?fit=1200%2C686&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":419897,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=419897","url_meta":{"origin":375224,"position":2},"title":"Trump Shook Up Energy Policy In 2025. Disaster Could Still Strike In 2026","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"04\/01\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"In 2025, President Trump's second term brought major shifts to U.S. energy policy through executive orders and deregulatory actions signed from day one. These prioritized fossil fuels, nuclear power, and rapid permitting while scaling back renewables and climate-focused regulations.","rel":"","context":"In \"AI (artificial intelligence\"","block_context":{"text":"AI (artificial intelligence","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=ai-artificial-intelligence"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/00-Blackout-33.jpeg?fit=1200%2C648&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/00-Blackout-33.jpeg?fit=1200%2C648&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/00-Blackout-33.jpeg?fit=1200%2C648&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/00-Blackout-33.jpeg?fit=1200%2C648&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/00-Blackout-33.jpeg?fit=1200%2C648&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":430822,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=430822","url_meta":{"origin":375224,"position":3},"title":"U.S. Gas and Renewables Help Buffer Power Consumers From War Costs","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"13\/03\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"As President Donald Trump and Israel\u2019s Benjamin Netanyahu continue to prosecute a war against Iran, the energy narrative in many business outlets is that top U.S. gas exporters, already shipping near capacity, are unable to fill the temporary loss of 20% of global liquefied natural gas volumes triggered by the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"carbon dioxide (CO\u2082)\"","block_context":{"text":"carbon dioxide (CO\u2082)","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=carbon-dioxide-co%e2%82%82"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AQMiVmpXQUCLhHipJT8ZetihC6EaxOIr2CcNEbl0TJOdOOUZvmvXd0s7F6zXqlwpMX2d76rLwfpLalafvWV72E1fCqo1zAvp_tdr6G1AS_A62FuoEh7ixhQoLpEd7PHt.jpeg?fit=1200%2C853&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AQMiVmpXQUCLhHipJT8ZetihC6EaxOIr2CcNEbl0TJOdOOUZvmvXd0s7F6zXqlwpMX2d76rLwfpLalafvWV72E1fCqo1zAvp_tdr6G1AS_A62FuoEh7ixhQoLpEd7PHt.jpeg?fit=1200%2C853&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AQMiVmpXQUCLhHipJT8ZetihC6EaxOIr2CcNEbl0TJOdOOUZvmvXd0s7F6zXqlwpMX2d76rLwfpLalafvWV72E1fCqo1zAvp_tdr6G1AS_A62FuoEh7ixhQoLpEd7PHt.jpeg?fit=1200%2C853&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AQMiVmpXQUCLhHipJT8ZetihC6EaxOIr2CcNEbl0TJOdOOUZvmvXd0s7F6zXqlwpMX2d76rLwfpLalafvWV72E1fCqo1zAvp_tdr6G1AS_A62FuoEh7ixhQoLpEd7PHt.jpeg?fit=1200%2C853&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AQMiVmpXQUCLhHipJT8ZetihC6EaxOIr2CcNEbl0TJOdOOUZvmvXd0s7F6zXqlwpMX2d76rLwfpLalafvWV72E1fCqo1zAvp_tdr6G1AS_A62FuoEh7ixhQoLpEd7PHt.jpeg?fit=1200%2C853&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":411561,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=411561","url_meta":{"origin":375224,"position":4},"title":"Trump Admin Looking to Restore Coal Plants as America\u2019s Grid Buckles","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"04\/11\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The Department of Energy (DOE) is seeking to restore coal plants across America \u201cfor up to $100 million in federal funding.\u201d","rel":"","context":"In \"coal\"","block_context":{"text":"coal","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=coal"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/0Screenshot-2025-11-04-185955.png?fit=1200%2C516&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/0Screenshot-2025-11-04-185955.png?fit=1200%2C516&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/0Screenshot-2025-11-04-185955.png?fit=1200%2C516&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/0Screenshot-2025-11-04-185955.png?fit=1200%2C516&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/0Screenshot-2025-11-04-185955.png?fit=1200%2C516&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":427203,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=427203","url_meta":{"origin":375224,"position":5},"title":"Oklahoma smelter the first fruits of Trump aluminum policy","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"20\/02\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"In May 2025, during a visit to the UAE, President Trump announced a strategic partnership that included commitments from Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA)- the world's largest primary aluminum producer outside China- to invest billions in a new U.S. facility. This evolved into a joint venture announced on January 26, 2026,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Century Aluminum\"","block_context":{"text":"Century Aluminum","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=century-aluminum"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-modern-aluminum-smelter-facility1.jpg?fit=784%2C1168&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-modern-aluminum-smelter-facility1.jpg?fit=784%2C1168&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-modern-aluminum-smelter-facility1.jpg?fit=784%2C1168&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-modern-aluminum-smelter-facility1.jpg?fit=784%2C1168&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/375224","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121246920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=375224"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/375224\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":375230,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/375224\/revisions\/375230"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/375228"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=375224"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=375224"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=375224"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}