Spiraling Power Costs Are Now a Major Political Issue in the US
Electricity prices increased by more than double the rate of inflation this past year.
A billboard in Washington. Demand on the biggest US grid is climbing.
Photographer: Pete Kiehart/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Welcome to our guide to the commodities driving the global economy. Today, Americas Power and Natural Disasters Team Leader Brian Eckhouse and reporter Naureen S Malik look at the politics of surging US electricity bills.
Americans and their politicians have always been acutely sensitive to the price of gasoline. But there’s another cost-of-living issue that’s gaining prominence in the collective political consciousness: what consumers pay to keep the lights on.