Charles Hua, founder of Powerlines and former US Department of Energy strategist, makes the case that America’s energy affordability crisis is a regulatory problem. With 80 million Americans struggling to pay their utility bills, and rates rising at the fastest pace in a generation, Charles points out the real power to control consumer prices resides with Public Utilities Commissioners, roughly 200 people he calls “The Supreme Court Justices of Energy.” This small group controls more than $200 billion a year in utility spending. This, all within a system designed almost a century ago.

Steph and Charles discuss why the grid runs at just 50% efficiency, how “capex bias” rewards utilities for building new infrastructure instead of optimizing what already exists, what the rise of data centers could mean for your power bill, and the inexpensive and solutions we could implement quickly if they get the greenlight from regulators. Whether you’re in climate tech, policy, or just nervous to open your electric bill lately, this episode will open up a world we don’t see or think about that often, happening behind every flip of a lightswitch.