Heinrich: Trump Admin’s War on Renewables is Raising Families’ Energy Costs as Demand Surges

VIDEO: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, delivers opening remarks during a Committee hearing to conduct oversight of FERC, July 22, 2026.

“Electricity prices are rising, and electricity supply cannot keep up with demand,” said Heinrich. “We are seeing a rapid increase in electricity demand and are being hampered by not getting enough power from generators to end-users and struggling to quickly add new, needed generation sources.” 

Heinrich criticized the Trump administration for stalling renewable energy projects that could help meet growing electricity demand and keep costs down.  

“The administration is slow walking and stalling 73 GW of solar, 43 GW of storage, 30 GW of onshore wind, and 16 GW of offshore wind.  Constraining the renewable buildout would increase economy-wide utility costs by approximately $11.6 billion per year,” continued Heinrich.  

Heinrich also commended FERC for taking steps to address the growing electricity needs of large energy users, including data centers and advanced manufacturing facilities. Last month, FERC issued six show cause orders requiring grid operations and transmission owners to justify or propose changes to their tariffs governing large load customers.  

“FERC choosing to address major electricity users, like data centers and advanced manufacturers, is an important step in the right direction,” said Heinrich.  “Now, more than ever, FERC’s mission to ensure that utility rates remain just and reasonable and not unduly discriminatory or preferential is critical to making sure millions of Americans can keep their lights on. During this once in a generation moment, I continue to believe that regulatory certainty, and the freedom for commissioners of independent agencies like FERC to act in a way to provide that certainty, will be critical in meeting the energy challenges of today.” 

A video of Heinrich’s opening remarks is here.    

A transcript of Heinrich’s remarks as delivered is below: 

Thank you, Chairman Lee, and special thanks to all five of our FERC Commissioners for attending this hearing today. We very much appreciate having you here. 

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has long been an important independent agency. It serves the public interest by regulating electricity, hydroelectric dams, natural gas, and oil in a manner that is both fair and impartial from the president and Congress, as required by statute.  

Historically considered by some to be bit of a “sleepy” agency, FERC faces a pivotal time in our nation’s history right now. 

Electricity prices are rising, and electricity supply cannot keep up with demand.  

According to a recent report, 75% of U.S. adults say that they’ve noticed their home energy costs increasing in recent years.  

Some of that blame can be squarely placed on our current president.  

I recently released a report on how this administration is waging a war on renewables that is raising energy costs. The Administration is slow walking and stalling 73 GW of solar, 43 GW of storage, 30 GW of onshore wind, and 16 GW of offshore wind.  

Constraining the renewable buildout would increase economy-wide utility costs by approximately $11.6 billion per year.  

But that is not the only reason costs are rising. We are seeing a rapid increase in electricity demand and are being hampered by not getting enough power from generators to end-users and struggling to quickly add new, needed generation sources. 

Luckily, we can take steps to improve our grid to help move electricity more efficiently and bring new power sources online.  

I recently launched an initiative called Grid for Growth, a plan to meet surging electricity demand without shifting the cost of that to consumers. This effort complements ongoing efforts to pass a bipartisan permitting reform. 

As part of the effort, last week I introduced the Grid Connection and Congestion Management Act to create a faster path for generator interconnection. Modeled after ERCOT’s connect and manage process, projects are rewarded for being flexible in their output by getting onto the grid faster.  

Other bills will follow in the next few weeks and months, but our ability to meet the rising needs of the grid are based, in large part, on our ability to build more interregional transmission lines.  

That is why permitting reform is so important.   

Interregional transmission lines can be the best line of defense against extreme weather conditions, improving reliability, and reducing consumer costs.  

While FERC requires some interregional transmission planning under Order Numbers 1000 and 1920, this coordination has not produced a substantial number of interregional transmission projects in the last decade.  

We need to find a way to build more high voltage transmission lines in the next decade—our ability to grow our economy depends on it. 

To FERC’s credit, the agency has taken active steps to confront energy challenges.   

Last month, FERC issued six “show cause” orders, requiring grid operators and their transmission owners to justify or propose changes to their current tariffs with respect to large load customers.  

These steps by FERC can help protect consumers and encourage grid operators to integrate new advanced technologies when adding new large loads to the grid. 

FERC choosing to address major electricity users, like data centers and manufacturers, is an important step in the right direction.  

Nevertheless, more action can, and should be, taken to ensure that consumers are protected from sky-high costs associated with data centers, manufacturers, and other large loads. I have been working on a bill intended to do just that and hope to speak more about that soon.  

However, all of these efforts that I mentioned will be meaningless if the independence of FERC is erased.   

The Supreme Court’s recent decision has put the impartiality of independent agencies at risk.  

Now, more than ever, FERC’s mission to ensure that utility rates remain just and reasonable and not unduly discriminatory or preferential is critical to making sure millions of Americans can keep their lights on.   

During this once in a generation moment, I continue to believe that regulatory certainty, and the freedom for commissioners of independent agencies like FERC to act in a way to provide that certainty, will be critical in meeting the energy challenges of today. 

I hope to discuss these issues with each of you during this hearing and look forward to it.   

Thank you. 

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