Energy experts warn that something must be done to provide financial relief as Americans get further behind on their electricity bills.

What's happening?

The New York Times spoke to energy experts who expressed doubts that a bipartisan plan to build power plants in 13 Eastern states and Washington, D.C., is the best way to lower energy costs in the region. They said the proposal would take years to enact.

However, families need more immediate solutions. As it stands, approximately 17% of Americans have electricity bills that are past due, putting them at risk of having their power shut off during winter, according to the National Energy Assistance Directors Association.

"The anger is growing," Mark Wolfe, executive director of the energy assistance directors organization, told The Times. "You're seeing much higher rates and they're not coming down." 

Why is this important?

Ultimately, the reasons for surging electricity prices are multifaceted, including an aging grid and an uptick in extreme weather driven by air pollution from fuels like gas, oil, and coal. 

If you want to protect yourself against rising energy costs, TCD partners like EnergySage can help you save up to $10,000 on solar installations that can safeguard you from energy inflation.

Still, the U.S. clearly needs to produce more energy to support energy-hungry data centers, another factor contributing to high bills. One estimate from Goldman Sachs suggested that data centers' power demand could increase by 165% by 2030, dramatically increasing the risk of blackouts if the country fails to expand the grid at the same pace. 

Utility companies' monopoly-like operations are yet another piece of the puzzle, according to Mark Dyson, a managing director at RMI, a nonprofit research organization. 

"Most shareholder-owned utilities in this country earn profits for their shareholders based on how much infrastructure that they build and how expensive that infrastructure is," Dyson told The Times. "There's a natural mismatch of incentives."

What's being done about this?

Encouraging solar adoption through policy reform and incentives can make a big difference. That's because going solar can bring energy bills to as little as $0 while also boosting resilience against outages when paired with home battery storage.

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The federal government has overwhelmingly backed oil, coal, and gas as part of its goals to lower electricity costs, stalling and canceling billions of dollars in grants for clean energy infrastructure. 

Still, many policymakers across political lines subscribe to an all-of-the-above energy approach, while also acknowledging that the pollution from fuels like gas does our lungs no favors. 

"Solar is just going to be a cheaper alternative for residents than the bills they're paying for their utilities. We can't possibly do this with fossil fuels alone," said Neil Chatterjee, a Republican who led the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for part of President Trump's first term.  

Meanwhile, Consumer Watchdog President Jamie Court suggested that lowering utility returns would provide relief to consumers while still allowing utility companies to maintain significant profits. "There are easy fixes to save billions of dollars from utilities," Court told The Times. 

Smart upgrades that slash monthly bills

If you want to begin your journey toward energy independence, TCD has resources to get you started:

• EnergySage can help you save up to $10,000 on installations by curating competitive bids from local installers
• Not ready to spend up front? Palmetto's $0-down LightReach solar leasing program can lower your utility rate by up to 20% 
• TCD's Solar Explorer makes it easy to access exclusive offers from preferred partners 

If you want to level up your savings with electric appliances, like an efficient HVAC, TCD partner Mitsubishi can help you find the right system for your home and budget. 

You can also complete challenges like cutting down on energy usage with the free Palmetto Home app and earn up to $5,000 worth of rewards.

Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices — and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD's exclusive Rewards Club.