As Trump cancels renewable energy projects, solar execs warn electricity prices are about to surge — how to offset the shock of rising utility bills

Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins doubled down on the message in Newsweek, declaring the end of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs “subsidizing solar panels on productive farmland.” [2]

The news has shaken those in the renewables sector, already reeling from Trump’s tariffs on the copper and steel used to manufacture solar equipment and batteries.

Now industry experts are warning of energy shortages and higher electricity prices ahead. Here’s what’s happening and how it could affect your utility bill.

What’s being scrapped?

It’s not just solar projects on farmland at risk. Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill is phasing out tax credits for any and all solar projects. To receive existing tax credits, solar projects must start construction by July 4, 2026. [3]

Meanwhile, onshore and offshore wind farms are on the federal chopping block.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) is cutting $689 million in funding for offshore wind developments, including $427 million previously pledged for the Humboldt Bay Offshore Wind project in northern California. [4]

The administration is even pressing pause on wind-power projects that are near completion, like The Revolution Wind Project — a wind farm off the Rhode Island coast, where 45 of 65 wind turbines have already been installed.

Despite the fact that the project already passed multiple state and federal reviews, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has opened a new review of the project, citing “national security interests.” [5]

Kevin Smith, CEO of the solar energy firm Arevon, warns of economic fallout from these policy decisions.

“The small- and medium-sized players that can’t take the financial risk, some of them will disappear,” he told CNBC [6].

Households could feel the hit in the pocketbook, too.

How the cost of energy will hit you and what to do about it

Tariffs and the end of federal subsidies make it costlier to produce energy, while limiting overall supply — just as demand for energy, especially to power U.S. data centers and artificial intelligence, soars.

That means you’ll likely be seeing fewer wind and solar farms on the horizon — and higher utility bills in their place.

Of course, you can make an effort to use less electricity, invest in weatherstripping, insulation or upgraded windows, but that will only get your bill down so far.

There are programs to support lower-income households pay their utility bills, but you can also seek out, support, and invest in local clean energy measures.

Programs to help with electricity bills and weatherization

For those struggling to pay their utility bills, the federal government offers qualifying households a program called LIHEAP (the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) to assist with heating, cooling and electricity bills.

It also offers the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) to subsidize home improvements that save money on energy. People qualify for these programs — geared to lower-income households — based on income and other criteria. [7]

Lower your bills with DIY Solar

If you have the means and the know-how, one bold option to lower your energy bills and decrease your reliance on the grid is to invest in renewables directly by installing a solar panel system on your property, like Popular Mechanics suggests. [8]

Join an energy co-op or start one

If the upfront costs or logistics of DIY solar are daunting, another way to share the costs and benefits of renewables is to join an energy co-op. In the Denver area, Solar United Neighbors has installed rooftop solar panels on homes in the Fort Collins and Yampa Valley areas. [9]

In western Minnesota, Lake Region Electric Cooperative delivers wind and solar power to rural communities.

Washington Electric Co-Op in Vermont, which also serves rural communities, has expanded its services to help members conserve energy through updated appliances.

If there isn’t an energy co-op in your area, that doesn’t mark the end of the road. You could start your own, and you don’t need that many people.

Solar United Neighbors organizes groups of around 50 to 100 neighbors interested in renewable energy go solar. [10]

The Trump administration may be cutting federal funding for renewables, but that doesn’t mean households are powerless.

Article sources

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[1]. Truth Social.

[2]. Newsweek. “Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins: American farmland is not for Chinese solar panels | Opinion”