‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Would Raise MN Electricity Bills by 28 Percent, Watchdog Group Says

ST. PAUL, MN — A Minnesota utility customer advocate is raising red flags about rising energy costs under the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act."

According to a new analysis by the nonpartisan think tank Energy Innovation, the legislation would cost nearly 22,900 jobs and drive up residential electricity bills in Minnesota by 28 percent and industrial electricity costs by 46 percent by 2035.

The bill, narrowly approved by the U.S. Senate on Tuesday and headed for the House, repeals a wide range of federal policies, funding programs, and tax credits that currently support American energy manufacturing and deployment.

Among the most significant changes is the elimination of clean energy tax credits that have helped lower electricity costs for consumers and attracted billions of dollars in investment to Minnesota.

The legislation also rescinds unobligated funding, expands oil and gas leasing, and eliminates or reshapes several existing tax incentives for clean energy and manufacturing.

"More than 91,000 Minnesota households had their utility service shut off for nonpayment last year," said Annie Levenson-Falk, executive director of the Citizens Utility Board of Minnesota, a non-profit advocate for the state’s energy consumers.

"At a time when we need to focus on making energy more affordable, this bill is a huge step in the wrong direction."

Utility disconnections in 2024 far exceeded any year in at least a decade, the watchdog group found.

"America's grid is facing the fastest electricity growth in 20 years, and Minnesotans are struggling to pay the bills in the face of rising inflation," said Robbie Orvis, Senior Director of Modeling and Analysis for Energy Innovation.

"Congress has decided to kneecap utilities' ability to build new generation to meet demand and impose billions in new energy costs on households and businesses. The country is teetering on a recession, and this bill will cost jobs and cancel manufacturing—it couldn't come at a worse time for our communities."

Energy Innovation’s analysis projects the bill would:

• Increase Minnesota household electricity costs by $240 million in 2030, rising to more than $750 million by 2035. Between 2025 and 2034, Minnesotans would pay an additional $2.7 billion in cumulative household energy costs.
• Reduce Minnesota’s GDP by $2.3 billion in 2030 and $4.3 billion in 2035.
  • Over the 10 years from 2025 to 2034, the state’s economy would shrink by a cumulative $22 billion.
• Eliminate more than 14,400 jobs in 2030 and nearly 22,900 jobs by 2035.
• Slow the development of new electricity generation in Minnesota by over 25 percent
  • Reducing capacity by nearly 4 gigawatts by 2035 while electricity demand is expected to grow significantly.

Energy Innovation’s Minnesota-specific analysis can be found here. A general analysis can be found here.

House Republicans are racing toward a Wednesday vote on a sweeping $4.5 trillion tax and spending package championed by President Donald Trump, after it narrowly cleared the Senate with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote.

The legislation would make permanent first-term Trump-era tax cuts, introduce new deductions for tips, overtime, and seniors, and boost defense and immigration spending.

It also includes deep cuts to Medicaid and food assistance, along with stricter work requirements, prompting sharp criticism from Democrats and concern among some GOP lawmakers.

With a narrow House majority, Speaker Mike Johnson is pushing to finalize the bill by July 4, betting that few Republicans will risk defying Trump, despite the bill’s projected $3.3 trillion addition to the federal deficit over the next decade.