Volts
Volts
David Roberts
Are utilities making too much money?
1 hour 15 minutes Posted Feb 11, 2026 at 5:02 pm.
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Show notes

Utilities and their regulators are often protected by a "force field of tedium," but in this episode, I pierce the veil to discuss the complex machinery of utility profit-making. I’m joined by Joe Daniel of RMI to unpack the critical distinction between "return on equity" and "cost of equity," and why the former is almost always higher than necessary. We discuss how regulators can close this gap to lower consumer costs without hindering essential grid upgrades.



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