Who Broke Your Power Bill?

Thanks to our friends at Evergreen Collaborative for partnering on this video. 

Sources & Citations

Citations reference first appearance, without repeating for subsequent usage:

• U.S. Energy Information Administration: Investor-owned utilities served 72% of U.S. electricity customers in 2017 (2019)

• Mark Ellis, American Economic Liberties Project: Rate Of Return Equals Cost Of Capital (2025)

• JD Power: Affordability, AI and Outages Top Issues Keeping U.S. Utility Leaders Up at Night in New Year: JD Power Utilities Outlook 2026 (2026)

• The Franklin Institute: Edison's Lightbulb (Accessed 2026)

• Delancey Place: J.P. Morgan Puts Electric Lights In His Home (2018)

• Historic Towns of America: America's First Power Plant: Pearl Street Station - NYC, NY (1882 - 1895) (2019)

• American Business History Center: From Hero to Hated: America’s Most Tragic Entrepreneur (2026)

• Loyola eCommons: Charter Reform in Chicago, 1890-1915: Community and Government in the in the Progressive Era (1980)

• Matthew Mitchell: The Pathology of Privilege: The Economic Consequences of Government Favoritism (2012)

• Synapse Energy Economics, Inc.: Utility Returns on Equity: A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy? (2026)

• Justia US Supreme Court: Bluefield Water Works v. Public Service Comm'n, 262 U.S. 679 (1923)

• University of Baltimore Law Forum: The Supreme Law of Utility Rate Hikes The Hope and Bluefield Decisions (1982)

• National Archives: 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Civil Rights (1868)

• Tampa Bay Times: Tampa Electric defends plan to charge residents millions more so big companies save (2024)

• wbur: When utilities ask to raise rates, customers pay the legal fees. A bill in Mass. would change that (2026)

• The Post an Courier: South Carolina lawmakers call for utility regulators to resign for failing to disclose trips and perks (2020)

• Politico: Florida Power & Light operates an exclusive, invite-only lounge for lawmakers and lobbyists (2022)

• Harper’s Magazine: Power Brokers What’s really behind your soaring utility bills (2026)

• Orlando Sentinel: The scandalous mess FPL's boss leaves behind (2023)

• Orlando Sentinel: South Florida 'ghost' candidate pleads guilty in vote-siphoning scheme (2021)

• Energy & Policy Institute: NextEra’s acquisition of Dominion would bring history of political control, rate increases to Virginia, Carolinas (2026)

• Energy & Policy Institute: Paying for Their Profits: How Ratepayers Foot the Bill for Soaring Utility Profits (2026)

• MPR News: State regulators approve sale of northern MN public utility to private investors (2025)

• Guru Focus: AES Corp. (AES) Gains After Ohio PUC Staff Backs BlackRock-Led Acquisition (2026)

• RMI: Mind the Regulatory Gap How to Enhance Local Transmission Oversight (2024)

• Grid Strategies: Fewer New Miles: The US Transmission Grid in the 2020s (2024)

• Utility Dive: Eversource project ‘epitomizes’ flawed transmission reviews: New England states (2026)

• Evergreen Action: New York Affordability Playbook (2026)

• Governor Josh Shapiro (2026)

Episode Credits

Creator/Host: Rollie Williams

Writers: Rollie Williams & Matt Nelsen

Director: David Ebert

Editors: Rollie Williams & Paul Ramsdell

Executive Producers: Rollie Williams, Matt Nelsen & Daniella Philipson

Cinematography: David Ebert

Producers: Daniella Philipson & David Ebert

Assistant Editor: Thomas Brown

Colorist: Nicholas Lareau

Desk Production Design: Caity Birmingham ( http://caitybirmingham.com )

Intro Animator: Tom Witte ( https://tomwitte.com/ )

Theme music by: Gratis ( https://www.youtube.com/@gratis3241 )

Special thanks: Evergreen Collaborative, Mark Ellis, David Pomerantz, Charlie Spatz,

Matt Kasper, Kyle Moler, & Travis Bradford

Special thanks to the Civil Liberties Defense Center ( https://cldc.org/ ) for their continued support.

Copyright Climate Town 2026. All rights reserved.