Energy Affordability

Overview

This Briefing Book explores the drivers of rising energy bills and provides three major categories of policy options for state legislators to address energy affordability. Section 1 examines near-term solutions to deliver immediate relief to households and businesses — including holding data centers accountable for their costs, providing direct bill assistance, and shifting the cost of climate change off of residential ratepayers. Section 2 explores how to protect customers and reform the utility regulatory system to ensure spending is examined, transparency is increased, and risk is fairly distributed. Section 3 outlines how building a low-cost clean energy system addresses the structural drivers of high bills over the long term, from removing deployment barriers to improving transmission planning and expanding distributed energy resources.