Electric Affordability Today and Tomorrow

Deck: 

Meanings, Myths, Measures

Fortnightly Magazine - February 2024
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Sometimes when I hear someone talk about affordability, in our industry, I eventually figure out they're talking about those residential customers that aren't paying some or all their electric bills on time or at all. The concern is that other customers must pick up their slack.

Sometimes when I hear someone talk about affordability, I eventually figure out they're talking about those residential customers that are finding it difficult to pay their bills for electricity and indeed for everything. The concern is that these customers are suffering hardship.

Sometimes when I hear someone talk about affordability, I eventually figure out they're talking about pressures from the regulatory community about increased utility investment in the energy transformation; that this will precipitate a customer backlash. And from the financial community that the regulatory community will be particularly tough on utilities because of the potential for a backlash.

These are all important concerns of course. But whenever we are talking about affordability, may we please sort out which of these meanings we mean and not conflate them? 

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