Speed & Scale Making Cents Out of Watts: What’s Driving Up Your Energy Bills? | Climate One
Sep 19, 2025
Shelley Welton, a law professor and energy policy expert, breaks down how electricity bills are structured, highlighting the confusion around charges and the influence of utilities on rates. Severin Borenstein, an economist, discusses the rising electric rates in California and the challenges posed by climate impacts. Kevin Miller shares insights on Maine's push for a nonprofit utility, Pine Tree Power, and the complexities that led to its referendum failure. Together, they explore the financial pressures on consumers and the future of energy affordability.
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Personal Bill Shock From A Cold January
- Shelley Welton described a cold January in Pennsylvania when her bill spiked to nearly $500.
- The experience highlighted how winter gas-driven price spikes can make bills feel untenable.
Bill Components Drive Different Risks
- Electricity bills break into generation, transmission, and distribution charges which each follow different pricing mechanisms.
- Where you live determines whether supply is utility-owned or market-priced, shaping bill volatility and exposure to fuel costs.
Fixed Fees Undermine Conservation
- Fixed charges on bills are unavoidable monthly fees that punish customers who try to reduce consumption.
- Shifting costs into fixed fees reduces incentives for energy-saving and hits low-usage households hardest.