August 5, 2025 – For tens of millions of households, the energy bill isn’t just another expense: it determines if the lights stay on or the fridge keeps medicine cold. And in communities across the country, the squeeze is getting tighter. Utility rates have climbed faster than inflation for years, volatile fossil-fuel prices impact customers’ monthly bills, and outdated grid investments keep piling costs onto those who can least afford them.
While rates were rising long before this Congress stepped foot in the Capitol, federal rollbacks have only poured fuel on the fire. The federal budget reconciliation bill passed by Republicans will disproportionately harm environmental justice and frontline communities from the combined effects of deep cuts to safety net programs, the rapid expansion of the immigration police state, as well as a partial reversal of key parts of the Inflation Reduction Act. The bill eliminates crucial tools for states to lower bills by gutting clean-energy tax credits and rescinding funds for the Low Emissions Electricity Program.
But in the absence of federal solutions, states can—and should—step up and lead. Governors, utility commissions, and legislatures control rate design, shut-off protections, and community-energy programs that can ease the burden. For instance, Washington State launched the new State Home Energy Assistance Program (SHEAP) last fall, steering $35 million in state dollars toward bill credits and weatherization upgrades for low-income households. The country needs more states to lead the way.
That’s why we’re launching Affording Our Energy Future: States Lead the Way, a national effort that teams up with state climate justice coalitions and organizations nationwide to put affordability first in the clean-energy conversation by replicating state solutions that are working and developing even stronger policies.
Energy affordability is core to Just Solutions’ mission. It sits at the intersection of climate justice, racial equity, and economic security. High energy costs don’t merely strain household budgets; they deepen inequality, undermine health, and push families further from stability. Our work is rooted in the leadership of communities who are hit first and worst by these compounding burdens, and we believe that they must lead in the design and implementation of solutions. Addressing affordability isn’t separate from building a clean-energy future; rather, it’s how we ensure that future is accessible, equitable, and durable. So together, we’ll support advocates as they advance state policies that:
- Protect households based on ability to pay with strategies such as percentage-of-income payment plans and year-round shut-off bans.
- Drive down costs using decarbonization tools like community solar and deep efficiency retrofits.
- Re-align utility business models so savings become the performance metric that matters.
Over the next 12 months, we will support our state partners as they turn their ideas into solutions by:
- Publishing an Energy Affordability Solutions Library that houses model bills, regulatory templates, and cost–savings policy language backed by hard numbers.
- Convening state-focussed EJ-CJ organizations and coalitions through our Affordability Hub and hosting a Fall Summit that provides a space for policy, legal, and research support as groups identify and advance affordability solutions, share narrative wins, and align strategy.
- Connecting frontline leaders, lawmakers, and regulators to cutting-edge research, peer learning, and technical assistance, via our Policy Institute, leveraging the expertise of our staff, Senior Fellows and thought leaders across the country to accelerate and replicate local and state energy affordability solutions.
- Educating and inspiring states across the country via digital communications, webinars that bring together 400+ people, customized trainings, and a podcast picked up in all 50 states with a daily download of nearly 2,000 people. Visit the Just Solutions Website, YouTube Channel, and the Just Solutions Podcast for more details.
Energy isn’t a luxury: it powers health, safety, and resilience. Follow Just Solutions’ national effort – Affording Our Energy Future: States Lead the Way – to make energy affordable for all. Together, we can drive and scale just solutions!