Overview
- PowerLines’ report shows utilities sought $9.2 billion in the second quarter and $18.6 billion in the first half of 2026, affecting more than 56 million customer accounts nationwide.
- Requests are concentrated in the South, where firms sought about $4.5 billion for more than 26 million customers, and large single-company filings include Oncor’s $1.2 billion and Dominion’s $1.5 billion requests.
- State utility commissions must approve rate changes and have historically allowed a majority of requested costs, approving roughly 58% of requests in 2023–24 and rarely rejecting filings outright.
- In North Carolina regulators already approved Duke Energy’s fuel-cost recovery adjustments tied to Winter Storm Gianna, while Duke’s separate base rate case remains pending with a proposed partial settlement that would raise typical residential bills in 2027–28.
- Utilities cite extreme weather, an aging grid, growth and steep equipment and fuel costs as drivers, and rising filings are prompting calls for tighter regulatory review, targeted bill assistance and potential policy responses to protect affordability.