Since the start of the Donald Trump administration, electricity rates and gasoline prices have risen together, and an analysis said a fossil fuel-centred energy policy could increase the country’s long-term burden.

CleanTechnica reported on Oct. 12 local time that U.S. environmental group Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) said in a recent report that the Trump administration’s energy policy is increasing power costs and fuel consumption and weakening clean energy investment.

Average U.S. residential electricity prices rose 15.1 percent to 18.3 cents per kWh in July this year from 15.9 cents per kWh in January 2025. Ohio rose 25 percent and Iowa climbed 33.3 percent. A surge in data centre power demand, grid expansion costs and swings in natural gas prices were cited as main factors.

Gasoline prices also surged. Since the start of U.S. military operations against Iran on Feb. 28, the national average gasoline price has risen about 50 percent. The additional fuel cost burden for typical households was estimated at more than $540 over seven months.

NRDC said the Trump administration has increased upward pressure on energy costs by cutting support for wind and solar power and extending the operation of aging coal-fired power plants.

Policies that had promoted the spread of electric vehicles have also retreated. NRDC predicted that easing clean car and fuel economy standards would raise lifetime fuel costs by an average of $1,624 per new vehicle.

Investment declines have also continued. The scale of cancelled U.S. clean energy manufacturing, power generation and battery storage projects reached about $86 billion. More than 50,000 planned new jobs were tallied as scrapped in the process.

NRDC forecast that the buildout of up to 540 gigawatts of new generation and storage facilities could be derailed over the next 10 years, and investment opportunities of up to $700 billion could disappear.

Concerns are also rising over social costs from increased air pollution. NRDC estimated additional costs in 2026 to 2035 could reach up to $640 billion and premature deaths could rise by about 35,000.

It added that the scale of such long-term damage is a forecast based on NRDC’s analysis of policy impacts, and actual results could vary depending on future policy and energy market conditions.