Trump policies could double US power emissions, NRDC says

President Donald Trump's fossil fuel agenda could double US power-sector carbon dioxide emissions by 2035 and cut clean-energy investment by $700 billion over the next decade, the Natural Resources Defense Council said in an analysis published Tuesday.

The nonprofit group said Trump's policies could leave power-sector emissions at more than one billion metric tons in 2035, compared with just over 500 million metric tons under a counterfactual scenario based on policies before he took office.

The analysis said the agenda could also result in the loss of 390 to 540 gigawatts of new wind, solar and energy storage between now and 2035. It projected that US consumers could spend up to $30 billion more a year on electricity by 2035, with household bills rising by up to 25 percent in some parts of the country.

NRDC said the policies it examined included the July 2025 passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which it said reduced clean-energy tax credits, as well as tariffs, planned repeal of power-plant emission standards, permitting delays and cancellations, and actions to keep older fossil fuel plants running or support new coal plants.

The group said more air pollution from older coal and gas plants running more could lead to up to 69,000 additional early deaths and 85,000 extra emergency room visits and hospital admissions over the next decade.

Amanda Levin, NRDC's director of policy analysis, said the administration had damaged clean-energy investment while supporting older coal plants. She said the result was rising utility bills, cancelled projects, lost jobs and more pollution.

The analysis said both scenarios included rapid growth in electricity demand driven by data centers. Energy Information Administration data showed utility bills had risen 16 percent as of May 2026, after Trump campaigned on cutting them in half within 18 months in office.