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Strategies & Market Trends : World Outlook -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Don Green who wrote (48453)	10/23/2025 7:43:21 PM
From: Don Green	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 48721

Electricity Prices Going Up? Green Policy Is to Blame Rates are much higher in states that have closed nuclear and fossil-fuel generation plants. Electricity prices are rising, and Democrats are making it a campaign issue. They blame the price hike on President Trump and congressional Republicans, who ended Biden-era renewable-energy subsidies in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. But prices are actually soaring because of plant closures and natural-gas shortages in blue states, all in the name of green energy. Energy Department data show that electricity prices in California, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts and New York have risen more than 30% in the past five years compared with just 22.5% nationally. Because of climate policies, these states closed most of their coal-fired power plants and nuclear facilities over the past 15 years, making nonrenewable energy generation more difficult. In comparison, prices in Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Texas and other states hampered less by green energy initiatives are rising less than the U.S. average. These states continue to be more friendly to lower-cost hydrocarbon fuels for electricity generation. California’s electricity prices are up 58% over the past five years and have more than doubled since 2008. The state closed all but one of its coal plants and all nuclear facilities except the Diablo Canyon plant. California now has the nation’s second-highest residential electricity prices at 31.9 cents a kilowatt-hour in 2024, almost double the national price of 16.5 cents. The state’s massive investment in renewable sources, which account for more than half of California’s in-state electricity generation in 2024, has driven the price jump. Massachusetts has a similar issue: Residential power prices are the third highest in the nation. The state produces only about half as much electricity as it did in 2010 because of closures of coal plants and the Pilgrim nuclear plant in 2019. But the state is still moving forward with renewables: Solar power provided a quarter of Massachusetts power generation 2024. The 2023 Massachusetts Climate Report Card calls for “substantial additions” of clean energy to reduce greenhouse gasses—and it warns of “significant challenges” to meeting its longer term goals. New York closed its last coal plant in 2020 and the Indian Point nuclear plant in 2021, planning to generate increasing output from renewable sources. But those sources haven’t grown fast enough. The New York Independent System Operator now warns of a significant power shortfall, but the New York State Scoping Plan has called for 70% renewable electricity by 2030 and 100% zero-emissions electricity by 2040. Across the Hudson River in New Jersey, surging electricity prices are a top issue in the gubernatorial race. Candidates Jack Ciattarelli and Mikie Sherrill both criticize Gov. Phil Murphy’s power policies. The state’s last two governors closed one nuclear plant and five coal plants. Because of the closures, in 2023 the state imported about one-fifth of its power from other states. Green policies have created a costly natural-gas shortage in New England. In 2024 gas generated 55% of the electricity for New England homes. But for more than a decade, New York blocked the construction of gas pipelines to New England in an effort to decarbonize. To reduce the shortage, Massachusetts imports liquefied natural gas from Canada and overseas locations at higher prices. The lack of pipelines forces residents in Connecticut and other New England states to pay as much as double the price for gas compared to residents in other states. Connecticut electricity prices have climbed 31% in the past five years largely because of the gas restrictions. The Trump administration is pushing to revive two pipeline projects that New York previously blocked to bring lower-cost gas to New England. Democrats should stop blaming Republicans for soaring energy prices in blue states that their own green energy policies cause. If they want prices to reverse course, then they should use the electricity sources that are actually cheaper. Mr. Goreham is author of “Green Breakdown: The Coming Renewable Energy Failure.”