A wave of US states that passed landmark climate legislation in the early 2020s are now weakening or reversing those laws, citing rising energy costs and the loss of federal clean-energy subsidies under the Trump administration. New York became the first state to formally roll back its signature climate law in May 2026, replacing a binding 2030 emissions-reduction target with a softer 2040 goal, while Virginia's largest utility is seeking a new gas plant to power surging data-centre demand rather than retire fossil fuel generators as scheduled; even California handed major polluters billions of dollars in free emissions permits, citing fuel price spikes linked to the war in Iran. Energy policy analysts warn that abandoning the clean energy transition will not shield households from price volatility, and argue that states still have tools available — including requiring data-centre operators to fund grid upgrades, expanding urban housing near transit, and investing in industrial policy through public universities — to keep cutting emissions without waiting for Washington.