Electricity bills are rising fast and eroding household budgets for millions of the public. The median household in the bottom fifth of earners spends nearly 10 percent of its income on energy, while the top fifth spends around one percent. In 2024, 43 percent of adults in households earning under $25,000 reported being unable to pay an energy bill in the prior year. Last week, the largest electricity market in the country signaled that this squeeze is about to get worse, and federal permitting delays are exacerbating the problem.
…
Demand will continue to rise. More electricity generation and transmission are necessary not only to power data centers but to provide the power for growing domestic manufacturing and a shift to electric vehicles and heat pumps. Yet projects that investors are willing to finance spend years waiting for permits, interconnection, or litigation before they can add supply. If supply cannot match demand, prices will rise and people will miss out on new economic opportunities.
Read the whole thing at the Washington Examiner.