PowerLines

"Politicians who ignore this issue are sleeping on a volcano." Mark C. Christie, a former Federal Energy Regulatory Commission chair appointed by President Donald Trump, reacted to the findings in PowerLines’ Q1 2026 report with a warning that reflects a growing reality across the country: rising power bills are becoming impossible to ignore. As utilities file billions in new rate increase requests and consumers continue feeling the pressure, the report explores what’s driving the surge — and why energy affordability is quickly becoming a defining public issue. Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/guPKJV3z

"Politicians who ignore this issue are sleeping on a volcano." Mark C. Christie, a former Federal Energy Regulatory Commission chair appointed by President Donald Trump, reacted to the findings in PowerLines’ Q1 2026 report with a warning that reflects a growing reality across the country: rising power bills are becoming impossible to ignore. As utilities file billions in new rate increase requests and consumers continue feeling the pressure, the report explores what’s driving the surge — and why energy affordability is quickly becoming a defining public issue. Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/guPKJV3z

A new PowerLines/Ipsos poll reveals that utility affordability has emerged as a rare point of bipartisan agreement. Eight in ten Americans, across the political spectrum, say they would support candidates running on a promise to lower rates. The data shows similar patterns across income levels. 74% of households earning over $100,000 report concern about rising utility bills, and nearly half of households earning under $50,000 say budgeting for monthly gas and electricity bills is difficult. Read our report and share with your network: https://lnkd.in/guPKJV3z

New polling from PowerLines and Ipsos reveals an American electorate that feels powerless over their utility bills: More than two-thirds report their electric or gas bill rose in the past year. In Q1 2026 alone, utility companies filed $9.3 billion in rate increase requests, affecting an estimated 84.4 million customers. Key findings: -77% are concerned their bills will continue to rise -64% believe bills will increase regardless of what elected officials do -61% say utility bills add to their financial stress -58% don't fully understand what drives their monthly energy costs Read the full report for a detailed breakdown: https://lnkd.in/e5EuEmhC

New polling from PowerLines and Ipsos reveals an American electorate that feels powerless over their utility bills—and the numbers behind that sentiment explain why. More than two-thirds report their electric or gas bill rose in the past year. In Q1 2026 alone, utility companies filed $9.3 billion in rate increase requests, affecting an estimated 84.4 million customers. Key findings: -77% are concerned their bills will continue to rise -64% believe bills will increase regardless of what elected officials do -61% say utility bills add to their financial stress -58% don't fully understand what drives their monthly energy costs Read the full report for a detailed breakdown. https://lnkd.in/eE5dnxJ9

Energy affordability is more than a talking point in Indiana. It's leading to concrete action. Since taking office, Governor Braun and Indiana have made energy affordability a defining priority. Here’s a quick rundown of recent moves: ⚡ Signed House Enrolled Act 1002, a landmark bipartisan law that introduced performance-based ratemaking. Utilities must now meet measurable benchmarks for affordability and reliability, with the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission empowered to penalize underperformance through their rates. ⚡Appointed three ratepayer-focused commissioners to the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission and named a new Utility Consumer Counselor to stand up for Hoosiers. ⚡Earned national recognition from U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, who highlighted Indiana as a model for how states can drive down utility costs. ⚡Additionally, The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission launched a statewide series of community listening sessions in 2026 to hear directly from Hoosiers about energy affordability concerns, rising utility costs, and potential short- and long-term solutions. Indiana's progress on this issue reflects the leadership of Governor Braun and the many legislators and partners committed to lowering energy costs for Hoosiers.

We're looking forward to some great conversations!

Investor-owned utilities plan to spend a record $1.4 trillion in capital spending over the next five years in order to revitalize the nation’s aging grid and meet rising electricity demand. But how specifically will they allocate that spending? Our comprehensive CapEx report takes a deeper look at this question. The findings indicate that utility spending is concentrated primarily in transmission and distribution grid infrastructure. Among utilities that disclosed capital spending breakdowns by category, almost half of proposed spending was for the grid. Check out the full report here for more essential insights: https://lnkd.in/eTqnNVy6

It’s been a year since we first introduced our public utility commission (PUC) jobs board, a frequently updated resource designed to connect talented energy professionals with state public utilities commissions. In that time, 550 of you have applied to jobs across 42 state PUCs. Why is this significant? 200 PUC commissioners nationwide oversee more than $200 billion a year in utility spending. At a billion dollars per commissioner, they are the U.S. Supreme Court justices of energy. The decisions PUCs make, particularly over the next three or five years, will have tremendous influence in shaping what the future of the U.S. energy system looks like. Want to help build our energy future and a stronger, more efficient grid? There’s no better way than working with a state PUC. Check out our job board: https://lnkd.in/gizdhFni

Thank you to POLITICO for featuring PowerLines’ latest report in the Power Switch newsletter, highlighting the record $1.4 trillion in planned capital spending by investor-owned utilities over the next five years: https://lnkd.in/gD-zUgKr Jeffrey Tomich also highlights what this massive planned spending will mean for consumers’ electrical bills in his latest for E&E News: https://lnkd.in/ggwnKAaY