Will the Big Beautiful Bill Make Your Utility Bills More Expensive? Experts Weigh In
Written by
Cynthia Measom
Edited by
Rebekah Evans
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Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill, signed into law on July 4, rolls back clean energy tax credits, repeals climate-focused funding and expands oil and gas development. While some Senate Republicans claim the bill is pro-growth, energy experts warn it could raise utility bills across the U.S. and make long-term power costs more volatile — below is what they had to say.
Also here’s ChatGPT’s simple explanation of what the Big Beautiful Bill is.
Power Bills Could Jump
According to a report from Energy Innovation, households across the U.S. could pay a combined $170 billion more for energy between 2025-2034 due to the Big Beautiful Bill.
Patrice Williams-Lindo, a workforce futurist, visibility strategist and CEO of Career Nomad, who has advised energy firms on digital adoption and job transitions, said the Big Beautiful Bill doesn’t support the energy systems people actually rely on. “Consumers might see temporary dips in prices if domestic oil and gas production is amped up,” she said. “But that’s a supply illusion. Without long-term investment in resilient grids, diversified energy sources or consumer subsidies, bills will spike again — especially in disaster-prone regions.”
Owen Quinlan, head of data at Arbor, said households are already feeling it. “In many cities, rates have jumped 10% to 45% this summer,” he said. “And that’s before factoring in the potential impact of this bill.” Quinlan’s team tracks real-time energy prices across the country. He warned that pulling back on clean energy now could make things more difficult for households already feeling the strain of higher bills.
Clean Energy Keeps Prices Down, but That Could Change
Quinlan pointed out that solar already plays a big role in keeping daytime prices low. “The challenge comes when the sun goes down and demand stays high — that’s when the grid relies on costly backup power and prices can spike dramatically,” he explained. “Without more investment in clean energy and the infrastructure to support it, those price spikes could become more common and expensive.”
Williams-Lindo said rolling back clean energy also hits the workforce. “Rolling back climate-forward policies will stall the growth of future-ready jobs in solar, wind, grid optimization and green infrastructure,” she said. She added that it could mean fewer affordable energy options for consumers and fewer high-wage jobs in underserved regions.
What’s Missing From the Energy Conversation
Williams-Lindo shared what she called the RNA framework: Rebrand, Network, Achieve Recognition and said that consumers and industry leaders will need to rebrand how they engage with energy, moving from passive users to educated advocates. “Utilities will need to network across sectors — tech, policy, labor — to build smarter, equitable pricing models,” she said. “And marginalized communities, especially Black and brown households often hit hardest by utility hikes, must be recognized in energy policy as stakeholders, not just line items.”
According to Lindo, patriotic branding doesn’t pay your power bill. Without transparency, equity and investment in energy innovation, the Big Beautiful Bill could lead to big ugly bills for everyday Americans.
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