In Virginia, clean energy champion Abigail Spanberger won the governor’s race. Spanberger has committed to addressing high energy costs and reducing emissions. She plans to speed up clean energy projects to bring more energy onto the grid. Under Spanberger, Virginia will rejoin the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which supports climate preparedness and energy efficiency projects. Spanberger has also vowed to ensure power-hungry data centers pay their fair share of energy costs.

In New Jersey, climate champion Mikie Sherrill secured a win in the governor’s race. Sherrill campaigned on tackling high utility costs, promising to declare a state of emergency on rising costs. She plans to freeze utility rates, expand clean energy, and more.

In Georgia, voters elected two Democrats – Dr. Alicia Johnson and Peter Hubbard – to the state’s Public Service Commission. That hasn’t happened in over 20 years. They’ll address high utility costs by expanding clean energy and fighting rate hikes.

Election Day brought even more victories for climate champions. From state legislatures to local races and ballot initiatives, clean energy and climate won. Want to know more? Check out our 2025 Election Breakdown.

Illinois passed its landmark Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act (CRGA), which accelerates clean energy and gives consumers tools to save money on their energy bills. Under the law, Illinois will build 3 gigawatts of clean energy storage, create a virtual power plant program, and more. The state also invested $1.5B of critical funding into public transit. These investments will help improve energy efficiency and meet rising statewide electricity demand. 

In Massachusetts, people with heat pumps will save money on their electric bills. Under a new policy, households with heat pumps will pay less for their energy and could save between $70-$140 a month this winter season. The savings will make it more affordable to invest in a heat pump and expand access to cleaner alternatives to gas-powered heating.