Picture this: you walk into your local grocery store, grab your usual items, and still somehow walk out having spent more than the week before.
This is the reality for many American families.
On average, feeding a family of four now costs $16,096 a year, a 21% increase from 2021.
What many families do not realize is why prices are rising – or that they hold the power to help change them.
Energy plays a big role in how our food is grown, harvested, and makes it to our tables. Energy powers the infrastructure that harvests our food, distributes our food to grocery stores, and cooks the food we eat every day. So, when energy is affected, food prices often rise.
In fact, The World Bank has actually found that energy costs are the leading driver of ongoing food price increases.
But what if the everyday American facing these prices also had the power to fix them?
That is where state energy policy comes into play.
Your policymakers, like your Senators and Representatives, play a role in what your next grocery bill looks like.
Policies affect things like high gas or food prices.
Energy policies that impact how energy is produced, regulated, and permitted are set at all levels of government. These choices then trickle down to shape energy supply and demand, and then ultimately the price you see on grocery shelves.
To put this in perspective, state legislatures considered more than 3,500 energy-related bills in 2024. These bills covered issues from fuel policy, grid modernization, and permitting regulation – all things that directly support our farmers and provide affordable food for families.
Let’s breakdown how YOURS can shape affordable and reliable energy policy:
Fuel, fertilizer, food: state representatives can vote in support of local farmers.
Not only do farmers provide the food we rely on every day, but those farmers also have families they need to support.
Around 97% of American farms are family-owned, and many rely on off-farm income to make ends meet each year.
Fuel, fertilizer, and electricity can make up anywhere from 19% to 37% of total operating costs for family farms, depending on the crop, specific energy needs, or region. This makes energy policies the cornerstone for having a first-hand impact on prices.
When state lawmakers prioritize reliable and affordable energy policy, they help farmers first – the forefront for providing healthy and affordable food for all families.
What can you do?
Your state’s policies aren’t decided in Washington – they’re discussed and voted on in state capitols. And with the smaller scale of state politics, that means outreach matters.
Pay attention to the bills that affect your local farmers, energy infrastructure, and distribution costs, and make your voice heard.
Reach out (yes, you can call or email them!) to your state representative. Statehouses hear from far fewer voices outside members of Congress – so your input carries weight and can help move these bills forward.
CEA Bottomline:
While things like changing grocery prices may seem out of reach, the policies behind them are not. Helping shape state energy policies means shaping how food is grown, distributed, and priced.
But these decisions are influenced by the ones who speak up.
By reaching out to your state representative, you can help advance policies that keep energy reliable and affordable for families and farmers alike.