Practical Policies to Address Energy Costs
The NewDEAL Forum released “Easing the Burden of Rising Energy Costs,” focused on policies state and local elected officials can enact to address steadily rising energy costs around the country. The ideas were largely drawn from conversations that occurred at the 2026 NewDEAL Forum Ideas Summit.
While gathering at the Summit in Raleigh, North Carolina, elected officials and industry-area experts discussed a wide range of topics related to the current cost-of-living crisis. On energy specifically, discussion centered around infrastructure investments; AI and data centers; and; clean energy supply.
Leaders highlighted pragmatic policies that could bring some measure of relief to families and small businesses, as well as concrete ideas for long-term investments needed in infrastructure and the energy grid in order to ensure stable, reliable, and affordable energy in the decades to come.
“Affordable and accessible energy is central to Americans’ cost of living concerns as well as economic opportunity and national economic competitiveness – even more so in the age of AI,” said Jonathon Dworkin, Executive Director of the NewDEAL Forum. “From household consumption to data centers, we need elected officials at all levels to work together to address untenable spikes in energy costs. Even amid the impact of national and global issues, like war in the Middle East, this paper lays out a path for state and local leaders to move us in the right direction.”
Guidance in the paper includes:
Creating an American Grid Infrastructure Fund:As data centers strain the electric grid, they could be made to pay their fair share not only at the local level, but as a potential source of revenue for a nationwide fund to invest in a modern electrical grid to provide the necessary modern infrastructure for the future.
Balancing Costs and Benefits of Data Centers:One of the most important issues when it comes to data centers is ensuring they pay their fair share when it comes not only to energy usage, but also in the upkeep and modernization of our energy infrastructure. In addition, opposition to data centers lessens when they are required to use clean, renewable energy sources. And finally, data centers must be good neighbors, which means aesthetic improvements, especially when it comes to noise pollution.
Deploying More Clean Energy: For individual households, plug-in solar panels, also known as “balcony solar,” not only help reduce costs, but also give people a sense of agency when it comes to high energy costs. The paper also highlights progress made in Virginia since the 2025 election on a range of issues, including solar and wind energy.
