‘The Days of Stupidity Are Over in the USA!’ New Trump Tirade Takes Aim at Longtime Nemesis
President Donald Trump blasted renewable energy on Truth Social Wednesday morning, declaring wind and solar power “THE SCAM OF THE CENTURY” and accusing states that rely on them of facing “RECORD BREAKING INCREASES IN ELECTRICITY AND ENERGY COSTS.”
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It’s a familiar refrain from the president, who has long treated wind turbines as both an aesthetic blight and a political punching bag. But when it comes to hard numbers, the evidence doesn’t support his sweeping claim.
According to a recent analysis by Energy Innovation, states that have leaned heavily into wind and solar — like Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico — have actually seen slower electricity price growth compared to the national average. Iowa, which now gets nearly 60% of its electricity from wind, saw its rates increase more slowly than 42 other states over the past decade.
The idea that clean energy equals skyrocketing bills just doesn’t hold up. In fact, expanding renewables has been shown to reduce wholesale energy costs. In Texas, which has more wind capacity than any other state and rapidly growing solar, wind and solar generation saved ratepayers an estimated $31.5 billion between 2010 and 2022 — including $11 billion in 2022 alone.
That’s not to say electricity bills aren’t climbing. Nationwide, the average retail rate has jumped to 18.2 cents per kilowatt hour, up nearly 7% year-over-year and outpacing inflation. But the causes are more complex — and decidedly less memeable — than Trump’s posts suggest. Utilities are passing along costs tied to wildfire mitigation, extreme weather hardening, transmission upgrades, and volatile natural gas markets.
Take California. Yes, its rates rose roughly 72% from 2010 to 2023. But analysts attribute much of that increase to early renewable contracts signed when costs were far higher than today, along with the expensive task of fireproofing infrastructure in a state plagued by climate-fueled wildfires. By contrast, neighboring Nevada, which has also built up renewables, actually saw prices fall this year.
Meanwhile, Texas — hardly a bastion of progressive climate policy — has managed to keep its electricity prices about 24% below the national average, even while adding massive amounts of wind and solar. Reliability, a frequent Republican talking point, has also improved: the state grid’s risk of summer blackouts has plummeted from 12% in 2024 to just 0.3% projected for this year.
So while Trump paints windmills as a symbol of “stupidity,” the broader energy picture suggests otherwise. Renewables are not only cutting emissions but often insulating consumers from the very fossil-fuel price spikes that drive higher bills.
Trump may find political upside in bashing turbines and solar farms. But the numbers? They’re blowing in the opposite direction.
This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.
