MAINE MORNING STAR • March 17, 2026
Electricity rates “increased significantly” in nearly every U.S. state in 2025, with residents in a dozen states seeing at least a 10% jump, according to a congressional report released Tuesday. The analysis came amid other gloomy economic headlines, including a steep increase in gasoline prices since the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran began, and a lousy jobs report last month. States that saw the highest spikes included Maine, 10.6%. Democrats on the committee pointed to President Donald Trump’s campaign promise to slash electricity costs, among other prices, by half. Affordability is a key issue ahead of the 2026 midterm elections in November that will determine control of Congress. Trump has repeatedly referred to the issue of affordability as a “hoax.”