Trump policies projected to double power sector carbon emissions by 2035, report finds

The report, published by the Natural Resources Defence Council, examined the cumulative impact of policies such as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which reduced tax credits for clean energy, and a global tariff war that increased costs for electricity generation technologies. These policies also include efforts to support the fossil fuel industry by keeping older, expensive fossil fuel plants operational and hindering wind development. The analysis projects a loss of 390 to 540 gigawatts of new wind, solar, and energy storage capacity by 2035.

Additionally, US consumers could face up to $30 billion more annually in electricity costs, with household bills potentially rising by up to 25 percent in some regions. Amanda Levin, director of policy analysis at NRDC, stated that the Trump administration's actions have negatively impacted clean energy investments, leading to rising utility bills, project cancellations, job losses, and increased pollution. The report, titled "An Affordability Crisis of Trump’s Making," used an energy model to compare the impact of Trump's policies to a counterfactual scenario, finding that power sector carbon dioxide emissions could double by 2035, reaching over a billion metric tons.

This increase in air pollution from older