Utilities have no incentive to pursue low-cost solutions
Have you ever wondered how your electric bill is decided, Mark?
- Wed, Sep 2 2026 at 2:25 PM
Have you ever wondered how your electric bill is decided, Mark?
The biggest decisions about your bill happen before you use any electricity. Customers pay not just for the electricity they use, but for long-term utility investments—decisions often made with little public attention during utility planning.
The best way we can fight rising bills is to get informed. Learn about these utility planning processes and how Vote Solar’s advocating for lower costs and more clean energy across the country.Through utility planning processes – usually called Integrated Resource Plans (IRPs) and Distribution System Plans (DSPs) – utilities forecast energy demand and what new infrastructure is needed to meet that demand.
And the truth is, utilities have no incentive to pursue low-cost solutions. The more the utilities build, the more they (and their shareholders) profit.
Right now, utilities across the country are proposing tens of billions of dollars in new infrastructure to meet rising electricity demand from AI, data centers, electrification, and hotter summers.
If we’re serious about lowering electricity bills, we need to start paying attention before those bills arrive.
Read my recent blog about utility planning processes to learn more.
Onward,
Nathan + the Vote Solar team
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