California Governor Gavin Newsom recently took to social media to gloat:
“Electricity prices have gone up 10% since January. Great work, Donald Trump!”
That single sentence captures the desperation of the political left. Instead of owning up to the painful reality of their failed energy policies, leaders like Newsom are trying to hide their own failures and turn your electric bill into a campaign ad against President Trump.
Newsom isn’t alone. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren piled on, as did Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer who joined in using profanity to try and seem edgy and “relatable”. They, and all the other eco-leftists, doth protest too much. They know voters are upset about skyrocketing bills, and they are desperate to redirect the anger away from their own track record.
The Record They Want You to Forget
Here’s the problem with their blame-shifting: every one of these failed leaders sat quietly while rates soared nearly 30 percent nationwide under Joe Biden. They knew what was happening, and they did nothing—because the pain was the point. The entire eco-left agenda is built on forcing Americans away from affordable fossil fuels and onto expensive, unreliable “renewables.”
Let’s take California as the clearest case study. In late 2024—well before President Trump returned to the White House—Newsom was forced to sign an executive order admitting electricity bills were out of control. His statement was revealing:
“We’re taking action to address rising electricity costs and save consumers money on their bills.
That’s proof in his own words: bills were already on the rise, and it had nothing to do with Trump. It also proves, once again, Newsom is a liar.
Senator Warren is no better. Back in 2022, she proudly stood by President Biden as he cheered the closure of a Massachusetts coal plant. That wasn’t just a symbolic moment. It was another nail in the coffin of affordable, reliable electricity in New England. Warren didn’t care that families were facing some of the highest electric prices in the country. She still doesn’t care. What mattered to her was advancing the green agenda, even if it meant destroying good-paying jobs and hammering ratepayers.
The Truth About Why Bills Are Rising
The truth is simple: renewable mandates, premature fossil-fuel shutdowns, and massive subsidies for wind and solar have caused bills to skyrocket. We are being forced to pay for this failed experiment twice—once through our tax dollars, and again through higher monthly bills.
California is Exhibit A as we saw Newsom celebrating the state’s law forcing out fossil fuels nearly 7 years ago. But The Golden State is hardly alone. Across the country, utilities are required to spend billions on wind and solar projects that deliver unreliable power and drive up costs. Meanwhile, natural gas, coal, and nuclear plants—the backbone of our grid—are being retired.
Real Solutions Exist
The left doesn’t want to admit this, but solutions exist. A recent report, “The Looming American Electricity Affordability Crisis,” outlines steps that could restore sanity to our grid and relief to our wallets. Among its recommendations:
Utilize the Defense Production Act (DPA) - The DPA can be used to prioritize critical grid equipment, restart mothballed plants, and fast-track upgrades so the lights stay on and help prices.
Build New Fossil Fuel Plants - Natural gas and coal remain the most affordable and reliable sources of electricity.
Halt Premature Closures - Closing plants before replacement capacity comes online drives up prices and increases blackout risk. Federal and state leaders should put closures on hold until firm, dispatchable alternatives are ready, not just promised on paper.
Expand Existing Coal Power Plant Capacity - Among the quickest ways to add affordable, reliable power is by using what we already have. Many coal plants run below their design capacity or sit idle due to policy limits.
These aren’t radical ideas. They’re common-sense steps that would immediately stabilize the grid and lower costs. But Democrats like Newsom, Warren, and Schumer aren’t interested in solutions. They are interested in escaping accountability.
The eco-left wants you to forget that today’s high electric bills are the direct result of their policies. They want to cover up their own legacy of failure by pointing fingers at President Trump. They want to turn your monthly bill into a campaign slogan. But facts are stubborn things. Bills were skyrocketing long before Trump returned to office.
If Democrats cared about affordability, they would embrace real solutions. Instead, they cling to a failed ideology that punishes working families while rewarding green special interests. That’s the real scandal.
Larry Behrens is an energy expert and the Communications Director for Power The Future. He has appeared on Fox News, ZeroHedge, and NewsMax speaking in defense of American energy workers. You can follow him on X/Twitter @larrybehrens.