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The Case for Wind, Solar: States That Embrace Renewable Energy Have Lower Electricity Costs, Undercutting Trump's Claims Otherwise (Politico)
States that embrace renewable energy are far more likely to save money for their electricity consumers than those relying on fossil fuels or nuclear power, findings that undermine one of the Trump administration’s main justifications for its aggressive rollback of federal clean energy policies, according to a Politico analysis of federal and industry data.
In a speech late last month to the United Nations, President Trump claimed that wind is the “most expensive energy ever conceived” despite data from his own administration showing a sizable drop in wind and solar power costs over the past two decades.
The rising cost of electricity is emerging as a campaign issue in next year’s midterm elections, especially after Trump promised to cut power and gasoline costs in half during his first year. States with higher growth in wind and solar since mid-2021 tend to show lower electricity prices, according to Politico.
And when faced with a choice of what kind of new power sources to build, wind and solar are clearly the cheapest options when accounting for capital, fuel, operations and maintenance costs, according to a report by Lazard.
How the US got here: In less than a decade, the United States has gone from being a net importer of liquified natural gas (LNG) to the world’s largest exporter. This change resulted from two developments: the fracking revolution and the construction of a number of LNG export terminals, according to a report by the National Bureau of Economic Research.
A decade ago, the US natural gas market was separate from the world market. Because export capacity was limited, rising domestic production due to fracking sharply reduced prices.
Today, domestic and global markets are integrated. This has driven up US gas prices and put upward pressure on domestic coal prices, since coal and gas are substitutes for power generation. Higher prices have reduced domestic demand for both fossil fuels in much the same way that a carbon tax would.
Globally, a Climate of Hope: Renewables Overtake Coal as World's Biggest Source of Electricity (BBC)
Renewable energy surpassed coal as the world’s top source of electricity in early 2025, marking a major global milestone as solar and wind met all new electricity demand growth.
While developing nations like China and India led clean energy expansion and reduced fossil fuel use, wealthier regions such as the US and EU increased their reliance on coal and gas due to weaker renewable output and policy shifts.
Despite these disparities, plunging solar costs are driving rapid adoption across the Global South, with China dominating clean tech production and exports, signaling a pivotal shift in the global energy landscape.
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