By Trimmel Gomes
Georgia families could pay hundreds more a year for energy and the state could lose thousands of jobs under federal energy policies enacted since January 2025, according to a new analysis from the nonpartisan think tank Energy Innovation.
Robbie Orvis, senior director for modeling and analysis for Energy Innovation, said the affordability crisis will get worse.
“People in Georgia are facing an affordability crisis in their utility bills, at the gas pump and with healthcare costs. The policies put in place by this administration and Congress will make all three far worse,” Orvis contended.
The report puts the total cost to Georgia households at $34 billion, about $710 a year per household by 2035, rising to $870 by 2040. Georgia gets about 40% of its electricity from natural gas and the report argued reliance on fossil fuels is part of the problem.
How federal energy policies also harm health
Orvis stressed the increased pollution from burning more fossil fuels will harm public health.
“Burning more fossil fuels also dramatically increases air pollution, making people sicker and causing premature death. In Georgia, that’s expected to cost Georgians about $1.5 billion in higher healthcare costs over the next 15 years,” Orvis reported.
All told, Georgia’s economy could lose $2.4 billion in GDP and up to 11,000 jobs by 2030. Georgia’s clean energy buildout is expected to slow down too. The report predicted it will lose more than 20 gigawatts of potential onshore wind, battery storage and utility-scale solar projects by 2040.
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