Energy bills are crushing Americans, and experts say it's time to cap utility profits. (NYT)
With 17% of Americans now behind on their electric bills and rates rising at double the pace of inflation, governors are under pressure to use immediate regulatory tools to stop the bleeding.
One proposed fix? Rethinking the utility business model itself. Utilities typically earn a guaranteed 10–12% return on infrastructure spending—more than double the rate of Treasury notes—which critics argue incentivizes "gold-plating" the grid. Consumer advocates suggest capping returns at 6.5–7.5% to force efficiency over new builds. What do you think?