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Senate Democrats and energy advocates say stop-work orders and DOE emergency orders are raising electricity bills
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Summary
At a Senate Environment and Public Works roundtable, Democratic senators and clean-energy advocates said the Trump administration’s stop‑work orders for offshore wind and expanded use of Department of Energy emergency powers under Section 202(c) are increasing costs for consumers, forcing expensive coal plants to run and harming health and tribal energy programs.
At a Senate Environment and Public Works roundtable, Democratic senators and energy advocates argued that recent Trump administration actions — including stop‑work orders for offshore wind projects and expanded use of Department of Energy emergency authority under Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act — are driving up electricity costs and delaying cheaper clean energy.
Senate Majority Leader Schumer said the administration has “blocked the cheapest and fastest sources of energy, propping up dirty and expensive fossil fuel” and accused officials of favoring large oil donors. “When Americans get their electricity bills and see that they’re higher, blame Donald Trump,” he said.
Greg Wannier, a staff attorney at the Sierra Club, testified that Secretary Wright has issued multiple 90‑day orders under Section 202(c) to keep older coal plants operating and that those orders were not requested by plant owners, grid operators or state regulators. "In our best estimate, the 13 202(c) orders issued so far have already cost ratepayers in these states over $230,000,000," Wannier said, and he told senators the orders can shift costs to households through rate recovery filings at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
Wannier also highlighted health harms tied to continued coal operation, citing a Clean Air Task Force analysis he said estimates operation of the targeted facilities would cause roughly 143 additional deaths per year.
Advocates said offshore wind would lower regional prices. Anya Poplofska, senior policy advocate at Acadia Center, noted that Revolution Wind and Vineyard Wind have begun delivering power and cited contract pricing “just under 10¢ per kilowatt hour” for long‑term contracts that she said protect consumers from volatile fossil‑fuel spot prices. "Offshore wind is able to lower total regional energy market prices by 11%," she said, citing Daymark Energy Advisors analysis.
Senators pressed witnesses on practical remedies. Senator Blumenthal asked what additional Federal Energy Regulatory Commission oversight or congressional guardrails could prevent large new loads — notably data centers — from shifting transmission and interconnection costs onto existing ratepayers. Wannier said recent changes in regions such as PJM have already pushed substantial costs onto consumers and urged Congress to set clearer rules for interconnection and cost allocation.
Catherine Zing, tribal program policy director at Bridal Energy Alternatives (a Grid Alternatives affiliate), described the impact of the administration’s cancellation notices on the Solar for All tribal awards. She said the administration rescinded awards — including funds she described as fully obligated — in August 2025, representing roughly a $500 million loss to Indian Country and eliminating projects she said would have delivered about $94,000,000 in lifetime household savings (about $1,300 per household).
Witnesses and senators framed the issues as linked: they said stop‑work orders that delayed offshore projects, expanded use of emergency keep‑online orders, and cancellation of tribal grants are collectively raising costs and slowing lower‑cost, low‑emission resources. "The shorter way of saying that is customers always get the bill," Wannier said.
The roundtable closed with senators saying they will continue oversight and push legislation; no formal votes or committee actions were recorded at the roundtable.
