Climate activist says rising U.S. electricity prices tied to Trump's energy policies

Bill McKibben installed new plug-in solar panels and said rising U.S. electricity prices linked to federal energy policy could shape the 2026 election; the national average cost per kilowatt-hour rose about 12.8% over ten months and some offshore wind projects were temporarily frozen then partly allowed to resume.

Bill McKibben, a longtime climate activist, recently installed a new plug-in solar system at his Vermont home and spoke about how rising electricity costs are affecting politics. He said federal actions that limit support for solar and other renewables could influence voters ahead of the 2026 election. Since the new administration took office, national average electricity prices have risen and some federal clean-energy incentives have expired. The article also reports that several offshore wind projects were frozen by the administration and that judges allowed some projects to resume. Key developments: - Bill McKibben installed a new solar system and said higher electricity prices tied to federal energy policy could become a political issue in 2026. - The national average electricity price rose from about 15.94 cents to roughly 17.98 cents per kilowatt-hour over the cited period, an increase reported as about 12.8% in ten months. - The Trump administration froze several offshore wind projects; judges recently allowed three of those projects to resume, and federal clean-energy tax incentives expired on Dec. 31. Summary: The piece links individual renewable installations and public comments by a well-known climate activist to broader shifts in U.S. energy policy and rising consumer electricity costs. Undetermined at this time.