A blow to CT ratepayers
Greenwich gubernatorial hopeful Ryan Fazio has made high electricity prices his rallying cry, but his campaign reveals a striking contradiction. He praises Donald Trump—a president whose policies have directly driven up energy costs in Connecticut and across the nation.
Trump pulls the plug on Connecticut’s energy future
Earlier this month, the Trump administration issued a stop-work order on Revolution Wind, an offshore project that had undergone exhaustive federal reviews and is more than 80 percent complete. In fact, the project was slated to power 350,000 homes across Connecticut and Rhode Island next year at well below the regional market price for electricity.
The move is a blow to Connecticut, which suffers from high electricity prices due to our location on the distribution grid. The federal decision jeopardizes $4 billion already invested in the project, years of planning, hundreds of local jobs, and strips away a key source of affordable electricity for CT families. Energy commissioner Katie Dykes estimated it will cost ratepayers $500 million annually in additional supply costs.
According to US Congressman Jim Himes, “that order threatens New England’s entire electric grid, risking rolling blackouts and virtually guaranteeing higher energy bills.” Governor Lamont agreed. “This political move by the Trump administration will drive up the cost of electricity bills and … wastes years of state investment in renewable energy designed to diversify our energy supply and lower costs for families and businesses,” Lamont said.
Household electricity bills climbing nationwide
The broader picture is equally grim. Since Trump returned to office, household electricity prices have risen 10 percentnationwide, according to federal data. Analysts point squarely to Trump’s policies: tariffs on imported components, elimination of clean energy credits, and a wholesale effort to kneecap wind and solar development.
For Connecticut, those numbers are more than statistics. The state invested $300 million to redevelop the State Pier terminal in New London as a hub for offshore wind—an investment now at risk thanks to Trump’s order halting Revolution Wind. Fazio can’t have it both ways
Yet Fazio has chosen to embrace Trump. That choice exposes the core hypocrisy of his campaign. He rails against high rates, while supporting a president whose actions are actively making them worse.
Connecticut’s electricity challenges are real, rooted in decades of dependence on imported natural gas and regional transmission costs. But the solutions lie in diversifying supply, building renewable infrastructure, and creating long-term stability. That’s precisely what projects like Revolution Wind promised—until Trump pulled the plug.
Greenwich needs a new mindset
The same knee-jerk hostility to renewable energy has animated Republican Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET) opposition to energy sources that save money, like geothermal systems at our schools. Democrats, by contrast, believe the path forward is clear: lowering electricity costs for families while expanding the supply of clean, renewable energy that secures our future, creates jobs, and strengthens Connecticut’s energy independence.
Thanks to BET Democrats, Greenwich will have solar panels installed on the new Cohen Eastern Civic Center, which will cover over 70% of the building’s energy needs and save taxpayers money. Now that’s the mindset that we need.
Washington’s budget ax is swinging toward Greenwich
What are local leaders doing to prepare?
The Trump administration’s drive to dismantle America’s social safety net is no longer theoretical. Its effects are already showing in Connecticut—and Greenwich will feel the brunt when the deepest cuts hit after next year’s midterms. Federal dollars that help feed students, care for seniors, and support victims of domestic violence are drying up. Vulnerable residents will look to local government for relief. The problem? Town leadership doesn’t appear to have a plan.
Take the Community Development Block Grant program (CDBG). These federal funds have quietly supported nonprofits like Neighbor to Neighbor, Meals on Wheels, and the Boys & Girls Club. Trump’s budget eliminates CDBG entirely. Without it, Greenwich must either step up or watch those programs whither.
Public health is another casualty. The administration’s “Big Beautiful Bill” threatens coverage for more than 1,100 Greenwich residents starting in 2027, forcing some to lose Medicaid entirely or to face crushing premiums. Meanwhile, Washington has already cut $155 million in federal health grants for Connecticut—funds once used for infectious-disease tracking, newborn genetic screening, and substance-abuse prevention. Those cuts weaken local officials’ and doctors’ ability to detect outbreaks, boost vaccination rates, and deliver life-saving care.
Food security has also been hit. The Trump administration has already slashed over $1 billion in CT from programs that once provided local produce for school breakfasts and lunches and stocked food pantries with fresh fruits and vegetables. For struggling families, the loss is immediate and tangible.
Local leadership matters
The through line is clear: federal support is shrinking, and communities like Greenwich will be forced to fill the gaps—or leave neighbors exposed. Smart leadership would be planning now, running the numbers, and working with nonprofits to shield residents from Washington’s cuts. Instead, our local leaders remain unprepared.
Their inaction is dangerous. While the fraying begins in Washington, the unraveling will happen here—in empty lunch trays, in missed screenings for newborns, in seniors left without care. Greenwich can’t afford to wait. This Election Day, that means voting for Democrats—leaders who are focused, smart, and ready to take responsibility.
WHAT WE’RE READING
Greenwich students are outpacing their peers, according to a new statewide assessment, reports Doug Fenton in his Substack. This and other recent data “dispel a recurring talking point by some local Republican politicians about the academic performance of our school district,” writes Fenton. Read his analysis here.
Action calendar
September 14. Picnic.
Join us for our Campaign Kick-Off Picnic, an informal afternoon of food, conversation, and community. Meet local, state and federal leaders, connect with neighbors, and help us build momentum for a better Greenwich. Tod’s Point clambake area. Tickets here.
September 16. Register.
September 16 is National Voter Registration Day. Have you recently changed addresses? Have a teen who turned 18? Check your status or register to vote here.
September 17. Meet.
Come to our monthly meeting and hear from special guest speaker, Gretchen Raffa, Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer at Planned Parenthood Votes! Connecticut. Open to all Democrats in town. Town Hall Meeting Room at Greenwich Town Hall (101 Field Point Road). 7:30 – 9:00 p.m.
| Volume 4, Number 12 • September 11, 2025 |
| Paid for by the Greenwich Democratic Town Committee. |
| Greenwich Democratic Town Committee P.O. Box 126 Greenwich, CT 06836 |