EXCLUSIVE — Energy Secretary Chris Wright backed President Donald Trump’s assertion that the recent rise in electricity prices is attributable to increased reliance on wind and solar energy. 

Wright told the Washington Examiner in an interview Friday that the president was “correct” in saying that states that have leaned heavily on renewable energy sources are seeing record energy price hikes. 

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The secretary’s remarks came just days after Trump escalated his criticism of wind and solar, calling the green energy alternatives “THE SCAM OF THE CENTURY” in a social media post. His claim was disputed by clean energy advocates, who have argued that some of the states with the cheapest electricity have built large amounts of wind and solar power. 

“The President’s comments are correct, but the situation is more complicated than that,” Wright said, adding that the discussion needs to have a “country-wide” focus and not zero in on individual states. 

He pointed to states such as Iowa and Oklahoma, which have some of the largest shares of renewable energy growth and the smallest electricity price hikes among all states. Wright said their rate hikes have remained low because the states did not close any fossil fuel power plants, leaving that infrastructure in place while adding new wind and solar. 

“They generate [wind energy] in those states, but most of it isn’t consumed in those states. They have land. They’re pro-development. They do generate power, and they sell it. They sell it onto the whole grid, not just in their own state,” the secretary said, referring to the fact that Iowa is a part of the Midcontinent Independent System Operator’s grid and sells its energy directly into that multi-state market.

“When they talk about Iowa, how much electricity they produce from wind power in Iowa, it’s not all consumed in Iowa,” Wright continued. “So when you look at [a] state, you’re just looking at a microcosm of a grid.” 

The debate over renewable energy’s role in energy prices comes as electricity prices have continued to rise nationwide for the last two and a half years. During his campaign, Trump promised to lower energy bills for Americans, but he has yet to see prices drop. In July, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that electricity prices rose by 5.5% year over year, more than double the rate of inflation.

Wind and solar proponents have cited Iowa and other red-leaning states such as South Dakota and Kansas as proof that there is no causation between generating power from renewable sources and high electricity prices. 

American Clean Power, a renewable trade association, has instead claimed that states with the lowest share of renewables in their energy mix are experiencing higher prices. 

The group has called on the administration to harness wind and solar, which are widely considered to be the fastest-deployed energy resources, particularly since natural gas and nuclear facilities can take years to build.

“The only significant source of electricity that can be added to the grid during the Trump administration are renewable resources,” ACP CEO Jason Grumet told the Washington Examiner. 

“Going forward, in the early 2030s, we will start to see more natural gas — which we need — and by the end of the decade, hopefully we’ll start to see advanced nuclear — which we need,” he added, before criticizing the government for imposing additional hurdles for wind and solar deployment.

“But if the administration truly wants an energy dominance strategy that allows us to power growing manufacturing and data centers, they need to stop actively blocking deployment of renewable power,” Grumet said.

Wright challenged this line of thinking, noting that wind and solar power are intermittent, meaning that they do not produce power around the clock. 

The secretary claimed that, without proper battery technology, wind and solar energy infrastructure is essentially “worthless” when it is dark and when the wind isn’t blowing. 

“As you deploy more renewables, you’re basically building a whole separate grid,” Wright said. 

“If you take a grid or a system and grow the renewables penetration, you will raise the price of it. The president’s 100% correct in that,” he added. 

Wind and solar projects have faced the ire of the administration since Day One, through numerous executive orders and agency actions. 

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While Wright has previously acknowledged renewables can be beneficial in some cases, the administration has broadly sought to stymie future development for wind and solar projects under the second Trump administration. Just this week, Trump promised not to issue any new approvals for wind and solar projects on farmland.

Clean energy advocates, as well as Republicans in Congress, have attempted to appeal to the administration to ease up on its crackdown.