This article critiques the impact of green energy policies, particularly under Biden and Newsom, on rising electricity costs in California and the U.S. It highlights that despite claims of clean energy success, California has the nation’s second-highest electricity prices due to the high costs of intermittent wind and solar energy and the reliance on expensive battery storage. Critics argue that these policies have destabilized the grid and increased costs for consumers, with some attributing the price hikes to the Biden administration’s subsidies and the phasing out of reliable power sources like coal and gas.
The article explores the political dimensions of the issue, noting that shifting blame for higher electricity prices helps politicians secure power. This is evident in Newsom’s actions, as he recently attended the U.N.’s COP30 climate conference in Brazil, using the event to criticize the Trump administration for not engaging with global climate efforts. The piece argues that Newsom’s focus on a ‘clean-energy future’ conflicts with the reality of rising energy costs, as California’s electricity prices have increased by 127% since 2010, with the state’s prices now among the highest in the country.
Critics of the green energy policies point to the intermittent nature of wind and solar energy, which requires costly backup solutions like gas power and expensive batteries, contributing significantly to higher electricity costs. The article references data from Jonathan A. Lesser, Ph.D., a senior fellow at the National Center for Energy Analytics, indicating that the transition to green energy has not resulted in lower costs but rather more expensive and less reliable power. This is further exacerbated by the closure of reliable power plants, such as the Oyster Creek nuclear plant in New Jersey and the Indian Point plant in New York, which have been prematurely shut down despite their importance for local energy needs.
The article also addresses the broader trend of increased electricity costs across the U.S., with states like Massachusetts and California experiencing some of the steepest price hikes. While some blame data centers for increased energy demand, the article challenges this by noting that Virginia, a major hub for data centers, has not seen the same level of price increases, suggesting that the issue is more systemic than just data center demand. The piece further criticizes the International Renewable Energy Agency’s reports on falling renewable energy costs, arguing that these reports are misleading as they often overlook the subsidies that drive down prices.
The article concludes that Trump’s proposed reforms, including the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, could provide a solution by prioritizing affordable and dispatchable energy sources, potentially stabilizing the grid and reducing costs for consumers. The piece suggests that the current green energy policies have failed to deliver on their promise of cheap and reliable power, resulting in unaffordable and unreliable electricity that hampers economic growth.