Utilities Raise Rates For Millions Of Americans

Regulators approved 43 utility rate hikes across the U.S. in 2025 totaling $11.6 billion, Powerlines reported, leaving roughly 56 million Americans facing higher bills as most increases take effect. The increases—concentrated in the South and driven by aging infrastructure, extreme weather, fuel volatility and rising data-center demand—arrive as the EIA projects residential electricity prices will rise nearly 4% in 2026.