Open Circuit Electricity is the new price of eggs
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Sep 19, 2025 
Charles Hua, founder and executive director of PowerLines, discusses the mounting frustration over rising electricity bills, which have surged nearly 30% since 2021. He highlights how this crisis not only affects household budgets but also shapes the political landscape, with consumers feeling increasingly powerless. Hua explores the complex reasons behind these hikes, including outdated planning, extreme weather, and misguided investments. He suggests innovative regulatory changes that could potentially cut rates by 20%, stressing the need for smarter grid management.
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Consumers Feel Powerless Over Bills
- Four in five Americans feel powerless about electricity costs because bills change month-to-month and lack transparency.
- Powerlines finds 80 million Americans struggle to pay and $29 billion in rate increase requests in H1 2025.
T&D Spending Drives Price Increases
- Distribution and transmission spending, not generation, drove much of recent retail price increases.
- Lawrence Berkeley Lab found distribution capex was 44% of utility capital spending in 2023.
Prefer Smart Tech Over Rate-Based Upgrades
- Use existing smarter technologies instead of expensive rate-based hardware upgrades where possible.
- Avoid large rate-based pole transformer projects when cheaper smart panels and controls can solve the problem.