President Donald Trump’s energy policy is having the opposite effect of his campaign promise to cut electricity bills in half. A new analysis by Energy Innovation suggests that the administration’s actions will result in Americans paying more for power, with individual households expected to pay $460 more for their energy costs by 2035 and up to $490 more per household by 2040.

Impact on Energy Costs

The Trump administration’s attacks on wind and solar energy, as well as its support for coal-fired power, are driving up energy costs. The administration has made it harder to permit clean energy projects and has rolled back anti-pollution rules, giving older coal plants a longer lifespan. However, coal-fired power is more expensive than natural gas and renewables, which will lead to higher power bills for consumers.

The loss of federal subsidies for electric vehicles and the repeal of tailpipe emissions rules will also slow the adoption of electric vehicles in the US. Energy Innovation projects that electric vehicles will only make up 23% of new car and SUV sales in 2035, down from previous projections of 68%.

Health Impacts

The administration’s energy policy will also have negative health impacts, particularly in communities near coal power plant smokestacks. The Energy Innovation analysis found that Americans’ direct healthcare-related costs will rise $43 billion by 2040, with the bulk of that coming from worse or new childhood asthma cases driven by poor air quality.

Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.