Promises of lower energy bills win big on election day
Key races in New Jersey, Virginia and Georgia have made clear that energy affordability is on the agenda this election day, as Democrats campaigning on the issue sweep the field.
Candidates in the three states campaigned to combat rising energy costs through renewable energy sources such as wind and solar or to support the Trump administration in promoting fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal.
Trump said increasing fossil fuel production would “unleash American energy” and save taxpayers money. But residential electric bills are up nearly 10% nationwide this year; It rose from 15.9 cents per kilowatt-hour in January to 17.6 cents at the end of August. US Energy Information Administration.
Wind and solar remain cheapest form of new-build power generation, financial advisory firm says lazard.
In the race for governor of New Jersey, Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill faced Republican Jack Ciattarelli after the state’s residents saw a rough situation. 20% price increase Electricity rates have increased this year due to declining supply and increased demand from data centers and the slow introduction of renewable energy sources, among other challenges.
Sherrill campaigned heavily on the issue, promising to declare a state of emergency on utility costs and freeze utility rates on his first day in office.
“With prices rising due to a major power outage, I will build New Jersey’s energy picture with new, cheaper, cleaner energy production, lower families’ bills, and put the Garden State on track to meet our emissions and clean air goals,” Sherrill wrote. campaign materials.
Ciattarelli, meanwhile, promised to implement a state energy master plan backed by natural gas, nuclear and solar power, but without offshore wind, which he promised to ban. “I will cap property taxes for families and freeze them for seniors, while ending offshore wind farms and expanding safe and clean natural gas and nuclear to lower electricity rates that are currently out of control,” he said. NJ Spotlight News.
Ciattarelli also called for the state to withdraw from the country. Regional Greenhouse Gas InitiativeA market-based program to reduce planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions from power plants in the mid-Atlantic states. California’s cap-and-trade program.
Sherrill won the governor’s race with more than 56% of the vote.
Energy prices in the U.S. are rising rapidly in part because the Trump administration is cutting funding for wind, solar and battery energy storage, according to Nick Abraham, senior state communications director for the nonprofit League of Conservation Voters. Management is also moved to the blog Some projects are almost completed.
“These races were about energy costs and affordability, and there were two clear examples put forward by candidates on both sides,” Abraham said. “One side wanted to stick to the Trump agenda by trying to ban clean energy and focus on fossil fuels, while the other side was trying to cut costs and implement clean energy strategies. And the results speak for themselves.”
According to Lazard, the cost of utility-scale solar ranges from $38 to $78 per megawatt hour, while offshore wind costs $37 to $86 per megawatt hour.
This compares with $71 to $173 per megawatt hour for coal among fossil fuels and $149 to $251 per megawatt hour for power plants where gas peaks.
The issue was also on the agenda of Virginia voters heading to the polls in the governor’s race between Democrat Abigail Spanberger and Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears. The state is now the landlord more than a third of all data centers worldwide.
During his campaign, Spanberger focused heavily on affordability in housing, healthcare and energy, and said he would expand and encourage the development of technologies such as fusion, geothermal and hydrogen, as well as solar energy projects.
“Energy specific, we need to have more manufacturing in Virginia,” Spanberger said. report He added that the state, along with CBS in Richmond, is already pioneering the largest offshore wind farm in the country. 2.6 gigawatts Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind The project is planned to produce enough clean energy for 660,000 homes when completed in 2026.
Earle-Sears focused on:“all of the above” approach In addition to investing in energy production, including oil, natural gas and renewables, he has also worked to remove the state from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which he describes as an “energy tax” that leads to higher costs. He also promised to repeal the Virginia Clean Economy Act of 2020, which requires state utilities to produce 100% renewable electricity by 2050.
Spanberger won the governor’s race with more than 57% of the vote.
Meanwhile, voters in Georgia also competed for two seats on the five-member Public Service Commission, which oversees the state’s utilities. Commission approved six electricity bill rate increases in the last two years.
Democratic challengers Peter Hubbard and Alicia Johnson defeated Republicans in Tuesday’s race, marking Democrats’ largest statewide margin of victory, according to the Associated Press.
Both candidates made increasing costs a big deal in their campaigns, with Hubbard saying:Bring clean, reliable and affordable energy to Georgiapushing for “and Johnson”Bold investments in solar and wind.”
His rivals, Republicans Tim Echols and Fitz Johnson, supported freezing rates but also resorted to Echols and Trump-style attacks. stating at a campaign event Johnson, a Black woman, wanted to “bring DEI and wokeness” to the Civil Service Commission.
Political experts said the races were not only a precursor to the 2026 midterms, but also a strong signal that Americans support the clean energy transition.
“Voters elected leaders who see clean energy as the path to long-term affordability and reliability,” said Frederick Bell, deputy director of state climate policy at the Center for American Progress, a think tank.
