Rising electric bills lead to state scrutiny but little relief for residents

No blame for the brutal cost effects of renewable energy and transmission?

Rising electric bills lead to state scrutiny but little relief for residents

by Kevin Hardy, Stateline
December 12, 2025

“There’s no question that affordability is increasingly an issue, not just with respect to electricity prices, but across the entire economy,” Bartlett told Stateline. “And people are feeling enormous pressure.”

Rising utility prices are increasingly drawing scrutiny from state regulators and lawmakers nationwide. Given the public outcry, many state leaders are considering rate freezes, additional energy assistance funds or new rates targeting large energy users such as data centers. But states only have so much control; regulators say they can’t change the fundamental market dynamics that will likely continue to push prices up.

Between January and September of this year, average home electricity rates increased 11.7% — more than triple the rate of inflation, according to the National Energy Assistance Directors Association, which represents state employees administering federal energy assistance programs. Average electric bills increased nearly 30% between 2021 and 2025, climbing from $121 to $156 per month.

Many low-income households have long struggled to cover utility bills. Now, advocates say, high prices are affecting a growing swath of the middle class.

Utility prices played a major role in recent Democratic gubernatorial wins in New Jersey and Virginia. And in Georgia, Democrats flipped two seats on the board that regulates public utilities — the first time Democrats won statewide constitutional office in nearly two decades.

Most consumers get their electricity from utilities that must seek state consent for rate changes, with appointed or elected state boards approving price structures.

In Washington state, Ann Rendahl, one of three members of the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission, said state utility regulators always consider affordability when making rate decisions. Now those deliberations have attracted much more public and political scrutiny.

“We’re hearing from more and more people,” she said. “I think it’s becoming more of a concern politically as well as legislatures and governors hear about this.”

Prices have been affected by a multitude of factors: Russia’s war in Ukraine, which has disrupted global oil and gas supplies; extreme weather events; and rising demand driven by the artificial intelligence boom and energy-intensive data centers have all played a role.

The article continues at https://www.bangordailynews.com/2025/12/12/politics/state-politics/...

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