Shift Key with Robinson Meyer There’s a New Playbook for Cutting Power Prices
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Mar 31, 2026 Arjun Krishnaswami, a senior advisor at the Federation of American Scientists and former White House clean energy policy adviser, explains practical state and local levers to cut power bills. He explores why prices rose, boosting utility oversight, strengthening regulators, speeding permitting and siting, and using public finance to lower costs. Short, clear ideas for making government deliver cheaper electricity.
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Why Bills Are Rising Now
- Rising electricity bills are driven mainly by utility distribution spending and gas-price volatility.
- Arjun Krishnaswami cites Lawrence Berkeley Lab findings and adds resilience costs and rising demand as growing contributors.
Strengthen Government Capacity First
- Build government administrative capacity to handle multiple drivers of affordability simultaneously.
- The playbook recommends strengthening regulators and agencies so they can respond to distribution, supply, resilience, and demand issues together.
Give PUCs Real Authority And Resources
- Empower public utility commissions to proactively represent ratepayers, not just react to utility proposals.
- Recommend expanding PUC mandates, staffing analytical capacity, and using state DOE resources for independent analysis.