Donald Trump is using high electricity prices as an electoral campaign issue to gain an edge in the November election. The former president has blamed Democrats for the rising cost of electricity and gasoline prices. Since late 2020, electricity prices have risen by roughly 20 percent and show few signs of falling. From April 2023 to April 2024, average retail electricity prices went up in the main battleground states, with Nevada and Wisconsin the exceptions. The Republican National Convention speakers criticized President Joe Biden for gasoline prices and the cost of energy, as a culprit for inflation across the economy. Meanwhile, in Washington state, a Democratic stronghold, GOP megadonor and hedge fund executive Brian Heywood is supporting a ballot initiative to repeal the state’s cap-and-trade market for carbon emissions. Energy economists suggest that there is little correlation between any single White House policy or electricity prices due to short-term electricity prices. The federal government plays little role in setting utility rates, but it does not control the market price of natural gas.
Solar Dominates US Energy Capacity Growth
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has published data showing that solar accounted for over 75% of US electrical generating
