Trump’s Promise to Slash Electricity Bills Misses Deadline as Costs Rise

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports that households paid an average of 18.83 cents per kilowatt-hour this past April, up from 17.55 cents in April 2025. This surge is occurring as utility companies file $9.2 billion in rate hike requests, a 26 percent increase over the previous year. Analysts point to a combination of trade policies, the aggressive expansion of energy-intensive artificial intelligence data centers, and the cancellation of renewable energy projects as primary drivers behind the rising costs.

Market pressures have intensified as grid operators struggle to keep pace with demand. PJM Interconnection, the nation's largest grid operator, reported a capacity price of $16.4 billion for future power delivery, with data centers accounting for $6 billion of that auction cost—a burden ultimately passed to ratepayers. While Energy Secretary Chris Wright recently suggested that AI infrastructure could help stabilize prices, the Century Foundation reports that energy debt is increasingly burdening the middle class, with the average overdue utility balance reaching $817 by March 2026. Research from Energy Innovation further warns that abandoning solar and wind projects could cost the average household an additional $460 annually by 2035.