Press Releases

Bill Baby, Bill: Trump’s Energy Price Hikes Are Draining Americans’ Wallets

Press Contact: Seth Nelson

To: Interested Parties
From: Evergreen Action Deputy Communications Director Seth Nelson
Date: March 21, 2025
Re: Bill Baby, Bill: Trump’s Energy Price Hikes Are Draining Americans’ Wallets 

Since returning to office, Donald Trump has taken a series of deliberate actions that are driving up energy costs for American families. From freezing clean energy investments to imposing a national tariff tax on energy imports, his administration is making it more expensive to power homes, fuel cars, and keep the lights on. 

And he’s only just getting started. Even as his executive action agenda wreaks havoc on energy markets, Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress are charging forward with a reconciliation bill that could increase household energy costs by an additional $32 billion over the next decade.

What does all this mean for working people? Soaring energy bills, stalled clean energy projects, and higher household costs—all while fossil fuel executives and corporate polluters cash in. Below is a breakdown of the key actions Trump has taken since his first day in office that are hiking energy prices, along with their impact on everyday Americans’ wallets:

Trump’s Energy Price Hike: A Timeline

Jan. 20: Federal Government Spending Freeze

Action: Trump issued an executive order freezing all funds for energy programs appropriated by Congress through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

Impacts:

  • LIHEAP Cuts: Trump’s freeze on the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) left vulnerable families struggling to afford heating and cooling costs. In Huntsville, Alabama alone, this move directly raised utility costs by $100 for hundreds of households.

  • Weatherization Assistance Program Halted: This program helps tens of thousands of low-income families lower their energy bills through home upgrades, such as better insulation and other energy-efficiency improvements. Trump’s freeze could force states to delay or cancel projects. Before a federal judge’s recent ruling ordering the administration to release the funding, millions remained frozen in states like Colorado. But even in places where funds are now available, many recipients worry they are “just going to disappear again.” The uncertainty leaves a program designed to lower energy costs in limbo—right when families need relief the most.

  • Home Energy Rebates Blocked: Without these grants, home energy upgrades could cost families up to $14,000 more. Most projects would be at risk of cancellation, locking families into higher utility bills. Arizona, Colorado, and Rhode Island have already suspended their rebate programs in response.

  • Rural Energy Costs on the Rise: Programs like the Empowering Rural America (New ERA) Program and the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) help rural communities secure affordable clean energy. The freeze put billions in rural clean energy funding in limbo, potentially increasing costs for millions of residents in states like Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, and Nebraska—in places where Trump won his biggest margins.

  • Solar for All Disruptions: This IRA-funded program will provide clean energy access to over 900,000 households in low-income communities. While the freeze has been lifted (for now) as a result of a court order, the chaos is creating uncertainty that could discourage contractors from taking on federally-backed projects. The Solar for All program is designed to lower energy costs, but funding freezes are stripping away a critical tool when states like Pennsylvania, Indiana, Texas, and Florida need it most. Administrator Zeldin has signaled his latest effort to undermine this program by ordering an audit through the Office of Inspector General.

  • CPRG Grants Chaos: Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) help state, local, Tribal, and territorial governments advance clean energy and address local energy challenges. Many fund building efficiency projects that help reduce household utility bills. While the freeze appears to be lifted due to a court order, the chaotic pause got in the way of projects that would deliver affordable clean energy to the grid. Cutting CPRG funding would raise costs for home upgrades and lock in higher utility bills for families. The St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin risk losing funding for energy efficiency projects that lower costs for the Tribe’s low-income residents.

 

Jan. 20: NEVI Clawback

Action: Trump’s day one executive order also froze funding for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, cutting support for building Electric Vehicle charging stations. After multiple federal judges blocked the administration’s efforts to gut the program, Trump’s Department of Transportation once again attempted to sabotage the NEVI program with an illegal power grab thinly disguised as a bureaucratic update.

Impact: Without this federal investment, rural communities in states like Ohio and Texas will struggle to build charging infrastructure, making it harder for residents to switch to cost-saving EVs. Fewer EVs on the road means higher demand for gasoline, driving up prices at the pump for everyone—hittingdrivers in rural communities and working families hardest. The uncertainty around federal investment also threatens the auto industry in states like Michigan, where billions have been invested to attract EV manufacturing. Industry leaders point to a lack of publicly accessible chargers as one major barrier to domestic demand. Trump’s NEVI sabotage undermines efforts like Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s goal to install 100,000 chargers by 2030, slowing EV adoption, threatening the state’s clean energy economy and thousands of high-quality jobs in the state.

Jan. 20: Wind Project Ban

Action: Trump froze federal leasing for new offshore wind projects and onshore projects on federal lands and blocked permits for in-progress projects.

Impact: Delaying these projects reduces future grid capacity and raises electricity prices by ensuring that supply can’t keep up with growing energy demand. Coastal states are counting on gigawatts of energy from offshore wind and are now scrambling to fill the gap to avoid brownouts. Thousands of jobs have been lost or are at risk because of these project cancellations and delays. And, increased uncertainty in the wind energy market is driving higher costs for new and existing projects. 

Jan. 20: Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Expansion

Action: Trump lifted a freeze on LNG export approvals, paving the way for fossil fuel companies to sell more gas overseas.

Impact: More LNG exports means higher gas prices for Americans. A Department of Energy study found that unfettered LNG exports could increase U.S. gas prices by over 30% by linking them to the significantly more expensive global market. This could raise energy costs for the average American household by more than $100 a year by 2050.

Feb. 5: Blocking Renewable Project Permits

Action: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers halted permits for 168 renewable energy projects on private lands to comply with Trump’s executive order.

Impact: Slowing the development of cleaner, more affordable energy keeps Americans reliant on costly fossil fuels. As electricity demand grows and Trump blocks clean energy projects, utilities will pass rising higher costs on to consumers. Simply put, we cannot meet our growing energy needs without renewables.

Feb. 12: Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) Grant Terminations and Clawbacks

Action: Trump’s EPA blocked $20 billion in grants from the GGRF’s National Clean Investment Fund and the Clean Communities Investment Accelerator programs, which fund clean energy projects in low-income communities. On March 11, the EPA attempted to formally (if not legally) revoke grants from those programs.

Impact: The purpose of GGRF programs is to lower energy costs for everyday Americans. Blocking these grants hampers clean energy development, particularly in communities that need lower energy costs the most. For example, the Climate United NEXT grant program helps communities historically left behind deploy clean energy projects that reduce pollution and cut energy bills. The Power Forward Communities grant program finances energy efficiency upgrades that help lower housing costs and utility bills while expanding and preserving affordable housing. While a federal court has blocked Trump’s EPA from illegally clawing back these grants for now, Trump’s efforts to terminate the program have left that funding in limbo and delayed projects that would deliver cost savings for the communities that need it most. It’s part of a broader “starve the beast” strategy: by dragging out uncertainty, they’re trying to force organizations to run out of funding and collapse.

Mar. 3: Trump Imposes National Tariff Tax on Imports From China and Our Canadian and Mexican Allies

Action: Trump imposed a national tariff tax on imports from China, Canada, and Mexico, including on Canadian energy imports, triggering price spikes. While he’s temporarily delayed some tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods, a 10% national tariff tax on energy imported from Canada remains in place.

Impact: Trump’s national tariff tax will ultimately raise prices for all American consumers, with midwestern states hit the hardest. Because energy infrastructure like pipelines and refineries are slow to adapt, imports of foreign fuels are likely to continue with higher costs passed on to consumers. That means higher gas prices and fewer, more expensive clean energy projects. In states like Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, gas prices are expected to jump up to 50 cents per gallon. And, heating bills will climb as tariffs on methane gas from Canada, America’s largest supplier, get passed down to households.

Mar. 10: Trump’s National Tariff Tax on Energy Imports Triggered 25% Retaliatory Tariff From Ontario on Electricity Imports

Action: In response to Trump’s unprovoked trade war, Ontario, Canada, imposed a 25% retaliatory tariff on electricity exports to Michigan, Minnesota, and New York.

Impact: 1.5 million households in these states rely on Canadian hydropower to keep the lights on. Although Ontario has since temporarily suspended the tariff, if reinstated, these families would face higher electricity bills.

Mar. 12: Trump Imposes National Tariff Tax on Steel and Aluminum Imports

Action: Trump imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, raising costs for energy infrastructure.

Impact: Higher costs for wind turbines, solar panels, power lines, and grid infrastructure make it harder to expand affordable energy to address growing electricity demand. Home energy systems like heat pumps and water heaters will also become more expensive. Grid Infrastructure costs will rise, worsening transformer shortages and delaying upgrades needed to meet growing demand. Tariffs will also spike car costs, as auto manufacturers rely on components imported from our trading partners.

Mar. 12: HUD Terminates Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP)

Action: Trump’s Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), at the direction of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, eliminated GRRP, which funds energy efficiency upgrades in affordable housing.

Impact: Cutting this program raises energy costs for thousands of low-income renters, especially seniors and families in federal-assisted housing. The GRRP funds urgent repairs to keep tens of thousands of affordable housing units livable, including energy efficiency improvements like replacing or repairing heating and cooling systems and aging insulation or windows. Projects using the funds are required to keep units affordable for up to 25 years. They also leverage funds to secure other investments for significant repairs and renovations “Projects will fail,” said one affordable housing developer, “And these are projects that are already difficult to finance.” 

Mar. 14: Community Change Grants Program (CCGP) Grants “Under Review” and Some “Already Slated to Be Terminated”

Action: As Trump’s EPA shuts down environmental justice programs, all of the grants under the CCGP, including a project that installs solar panels in low-income neighborhoods, are under review, and some are “already slated to be terminated.” 

Impact: Terminating this program blocks cost-saving clean energy projects in disadvantaged communities overburdened by pollution and more significant climate risks, keeping energy bills high. Terminating this program risks the future of projects that are lowering utility costs, as well as providing clean drinking water and disaster shelters in disadvantaged communities. For example, New Haven, Connecticut, planned to use $20 million in community change grants to help low-income residents cut energy costs with energy-efficient home upgrades—but Trump’s freeze has left that funding in limbo.

Trump’s Policies are Raising Costs for Working Families—And There’s More to Come

Trump’s energy policies are hitting Americans where it hurts: their wallets. Instead of championing and investing in clean, affordable energy, Trump is actively making it harder and more expensive to power American homes, drive to work, and keep the lights on. His so-called “energy dominance” agenda is a gift to fossil fuel CEOs while the rest of us foot the bill.

And Trump’s biggest energy price hike threat of all has yet to come to fruition. Right now, his Republican allies in Congress are assembling a reconciliation package that could wipe out the IRA’s energy investments and critical tax credits—which would cost American households billions in additional energy bills every year. Families already struggling to keep up with Trump’s energy price hikes can’t afford IRA repeal.

For more information or to speak with an Evergreen Action policy expert, please contact Deputy Communications Director Seth Nelson at seth@evergreenaction.com.