Political Candidates Have An Opening on Clean Energy

For Democrats, the winning message is not complicated. Americans want more energy of all kinds, delivered fast, at lower cost, on a reliable grid that can handle a hotter climate, a more electrified economy, and rising demand from technologies like AI. 

The candidate who says, “I’m for building more power and bringing your costs down,” is on much stronger ground than the candidate who sounds like they are refereeing an ideological fight between students in a Harvard seminar.

There are three things every Democratic candidate should be saying out loud between now and November.

First, call it out: MAGA Republicans are responsible for raising your electric bill. The federal government is paying companies not to build new supply, forcing aging coal plants to keep running, and gutting the tax credits that bring new energy generation online faster and cheaper. 

Second, talk about getting results quickly. The new gas plants MAGA Republicans want will take the better part of a decade to permit, finance, and bring online. With AI usage soaring, that’s not fast enough. A utility-scale solar and storage project can be permitted, built, and delivering power in three years. Candidates can lower voters’ bills by committing to cutting permitting timelines, fixing transmission queues, and getting new generation connected to the grid.