Marketplace Energy bill burdens grow
29 snips
Jan 29, 2026 
Alex Olgin, health-care reporter covering direct primary care and HSA rule changes. Megan Robinson, freelance journalist examining salary lowballing. Cecilia Kang, NYT tech reporter on lawsuits about social platforms and youth. Sabree Beneshore, energy reporter unpacking soaring electricity and gas bills. They discuss rising utility costs, grid strain, AI data center impacts, platform design risks for teens, and job-market lowballing.
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Broad Drivers Of Rising Energy Bills
- U.S. electric and gas bills rose roughly 40% over five years, driven by many factors beyond data centers.
- Aging grid infrastructure, underinvestment, and rising natural gas prices explain much of the increase.
A Household Feeling The Pinch
- Bali in Little Rock saw his gas and electric bills rise by a few hundred dollars over recent years.
- He is frustrated that the Public Service Commission keeps approving utility rate hikes.
Deferred Grid Upgrades Are Costly Now
- Growing electricity demand plus years of deferred grid upgrades are forcing costly replacements and modernization.
- Higher demand from population, reshoring, electrification and data centers compounds the upgrade bill.