The Elections Were a Referendum on Energy--And Democrats Won...will energy costs drive the next wave?

[Sancho]

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/11/democrats-elections-energy-electricity-power-bills/?

With less than two months to Trump’s self-imposed deadline, household electricity bills are up 11 percent on average since his inauguration. Gas bills have spiked even higher. More than 70 percent of Americans—regardless of party—say they’re concerned about rising utility payments. Trump, undeterred by reality, is claiming that “our energy prices are down.”

Voters have taken notice. In last Tuesday’s elections, Democrats notched major wins, including in conservative areas, at least in part because energy was on the ballot.

Democratic and Republican positions on energy policy have been night and day, explains Daniel Jasper, a senior policy advisor with the climate nonprofit Project Drawdown.

Democrats, on the other hand, have a clear message, he says: “Renewable energy will be one big part of the solution for rising costs.” More than that, they are able to emphasize that the cheap, local energy “increases energy security and reduces our reliance on things like foreign oil,” he adds.

---------------
Why Tampa Bay electric bills were so high in 2025
https://www.tampabay.com/news/2025/11/13/duke-energy-tampa-electric-florida-energy-bill-increase-why/

Around Tampa Bay and beyond, residents were stunned by their electricity bills this year, particularly during the hottest months. Across housing types, income levels and neighborhoods, many Floridians questioned why their bills had risen to new heights despite no change to their daily routines.

The answer lies in a combination of recently imposed hurricane recovery charges, record heat and hikes to base rates that coalesced into big increases, experts told the Tampa Bay Times. As bills soared along with temperatures this summer, the cost of electricity became a frequent topic of conversation among neighbors and a source of commiseration on social apps like NextDoor.

On Nov. 1, about a dozen local politicians, environmentalists and activists gathered on a residential street in Tampa for a symbolic burning of their electric bills, days before state regulators met in Tallahassee to decide adjustments to next year’s rates. Three days later, utility regulators met in Tallahassee and green lit the start of the next phase of Tampa Electric’s previously approved rate hike. It will raise a typical household’s bills by another $5.50 per month.

“Everything is for the benefit of the big porks and their money,” she said.

[TheFarseer]

1. Yes but can I add

Fuck AI! These assholes are using all the electricity and driving up prices for everyone. And for no benefit to us - so they can market to us 24/7 and build blackmail databases on us? No thanks! At the very least, make these jerkoffs supply their own power from renewable sources. Same with crypto miners.

[RainCaster]

2. We must quadruple utilities costs for data centers

The billionaire owners of these data centers can afford it. We can't. They promised lots of high paying jobs would come with those data centers - where are they? The few jobs created for data centers are similar to security guards at the local mall. Low paid, hourly jobs with fucking near no benefits.

[hunter]

3. Places with aggressive renewable energy programs tend to have the most expensive electricity.

The cost of electricity in places that have encouraged renewable energy development, such as California, Germany, and Denmark, is almost twice what it is in nuclear powered France.

Like it or not, nuclear power is the only energy resource capable of displacing fossil fuels entirely. Renewable energy will only prolong our dependence on fossil fuels, doing nothing in the long run to reduce the total amount of greenhouse gasses humans dump into earth's atmosphere.