Backlash to ‘green’ agenda fueled by high energy costs

Steep increases in energy bills are leading consumers in Democratic-led states to question renewable energy policies that have failed to deliver more reliable, less expensive heat and electricity.

Price hikes in New Jersey, Maryland and Massachusetts, among other states, have left consumers fuming. Government leaders are scrambling to provide relief as voters threaten to turn against them at the polls for implementing policies primarily blamed for the spike.

“It feels like all of a sudden people woke up,” said Paul Craney, executive director of the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance. “I think over time, yes, the blame will be squarely on elected leaders.”

Massachusetts Democrats aim to eliminate all greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. A program encouraging residents to convert from natural gas to electric heat has significantly increased most monthly energy bills, in many cases by double or more.

Massachusetts resident Scott O’Donnell’s electric bill for his 1,100-square-foot ranch home has nearly doubled over last year even though he kept the heat down to 68 degrees.

His $685 bill for February breaks down to $290 for heat and $395 for a “delivery charge” that includes a recently raised fee to fund a program called Mass Save. The program gives rebates to residents who convert to electric-powered heat, but the cost is passed along to ratepayers.

Gov. Maura Healey, a Democrat, recently approved a 25% budget increase for the Mass Save program. She has prioritized the elimination of all fossil fuel heating sources in the state.

Utility companies increased the fee to pay for the expanded Mass Save budget, adding to electricity prices that were already among the highest in the nation.

The state has rejected installing natural gas pipelines and new fossil fuel or nuclear power plants. Instead, it imports most of its energy, including liquefied natural gas, at a much higher cost from Canada, Norway and other countries.

Mr. O’Donnell and other critics of the state’s energy policies blame Ms. Healey for helping block two natural gas pipelines and implementing Mass Save.

Roughly a third of the state’s energy comes from renewable sources, mostly solar. A major natural gas power plant shuttered in May, and the only state energy projects planned involve renewables, which are intermittent and produce far less energy during the harsh New England winters.

A spokeswoman for Ms. Healey did not respond to an inquiry from The Washington Times. In a local television news interview, the governor said her administration is not to blame for the higher costs, but she has asked the Department of Public Utilities “to take a look at the rates … and do anything and everything we can as a state to lower heating bills.”

The department ordered energy companies to slash rates by at least 5% in March and April, saving consumers an average of about $15 on each bill.

Ms. Healey and other top state officials say eliminating fossil fuels in the electrical grid will provide cleaner air and reduce the impact of climate change, which they say is causing adverse weather events.

They also hope to establish the state as a global leader in building a clean electrical grid.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, has set an even more ambitious goal. He aims to make all the state’s energy production free of fossil fuels by 2035. Still, a large offshore wind project has stalled because of rising costs and opposition.

Critics say Mr. Murphy’s plan to exclude natural gas and other fossil fuels while investing heavily in offshore wind was unrealistic. It left the power grid short of supply amid increasing demand, leading to higher costs.

New Jersey residents are bracing for 20% bill increases this summer largely caused by “decarbonization policies” that have led to a reduced power supply, said PJM Interconnection, which operates the electric grid for New Jersey and a dozen other states.

“We have continuously warned that creating policies that set artificial deadlines for actions and discouraging new generation from sources that include natural gas, nuclear, as well as other renewables, will result in much higher energy prices for New Jersey residents and businesses. And so here we are,” said Ray Cantor, deputy chief government affairs officer for the New Jersey Business & Industry Association.

Maryland consumers were shocked this winter by energy bills that have doubled for some. The big increase is caused partly by the state’s ambitious plan to remove fossil fuels from the electrical grid by shutting down coal- and oil-fired power plants, as well as a state-approved rise in charges utility customers must pay to fund Maryland’s energy efficiency upgrades.

Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, signed the Climate Solutions Now Act in 2022. The state must cut greenhouse gas emissions 60% by 2031 from 2006 levels.

The shuttering of fossil-fuel-fired power plants means the state must import most of its electricity, which is much more expensive.

“Every Marylander has been affected negatively by these soaring power prices,” said Delegate Brian A. Chisholm, Anne Arundel County Republican. “We have Marylanders right now that have to decide whether or not they pay their rent or their mortgage or their power bill. That is a scary situation to be in.

“I’m hearing from business owners who are telling me they’re not going to be able to keep their businesses open long. They feel like they’re being strangled by a climate cult with some of these policies,” he said.

Mr. Chisholm and a half-dozen other Maryland Republican lawmakers asked the Trump administration last month to halt plans to shut down two oil- and coal-operated power plants to stave off an even bigger energy crisis in the state. The two plants were headed for closure in part because a state emissions cap hindered their operations. They agreed in January to remain open longer, but lawmakers say they are “exploiting the crisis to impose excessive fees” on ratepayers.

Mr. Trump ran on a promise to “drill, baby, drill” and tapped Energy Secretary Chris Wright, a former fracking executive, to restore fossil fuels to a prominent place in the U.S. energy mix after years of Biden-era policies to end them.

In a letter to Mr. Wright, Maryland lawmakers asked the administration to investigate the feasibility of reopening some of the state’s six coal-fired power plants, which were shuttered in recent years as the state sought to achieve net-zero emissions goals.

“The situation demands immediate federal action,” the lawmakers wrote.