iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

If cleaner, cheaper resources like renewables, batteries, or flexible demand can meet the same need, customers shouldn’t be locked into paying more for a more expensive project for decades.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

The public should have a voice too, through consumer advocates, businesses, community groups, public comments, hearings, and lawmakers who can hold utilities accountable.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Regulators review the plans, forecasts, and costs and decide what customers should have to pay for. Utilities bring lawyers and expert witnesses to make their case.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

A new power plant or major grid project can stay on customer bills for decades, even when cleaner, cheaper options could sometimes meet the same need. When utilities want customers to pay for new spending, they have to make their case to state regulators.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

What utilities choose to build now can shape your electric bill for decades. Utilities can recover approved infrastructure costs from customers over time, and investor-owned utilities may also earn returns on some of those investments. That’s why those choices deserve scrutiny.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

California can make extremely cheap power and still have some of the highest electric bills in the country. Clean energy is pushing costs down, so what happens to those savings before they reach your bill?

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

What we pay for electricity is shaped by more than how much we use. Power can be much more expensive to supply at some hours than others, and those costs can ultimately affect our rates. More low-cost options can help avoid the most expensive power.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

The more often those resources can meet demand, the less exposed electricity prices are to volatile fossil fuel gas costs and the costs that ultimately feed into our bills.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

When its fuel cost rises, electricity prices can rise with it. Wind and solar have no fuel cost, while batteries and flexible demand can move lower-cost electricity into higher-demand hours.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Most of us don’t see those swings directly because utility rates smooth them out, but they still affect the cost of supplying electricity over time. One reason prices move so much is that fossil fuel gas often sets the wholesale price.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Electricity can cost SIX TIMES more one day than another. In June 2026, daily peak wholesale prices in PJM ranged from $36 to $216 per megawatt-hour.

Infographic over a pink-to-purple sunset sky with power transmission towers and lines, titled THE MATH ON: WHY ELECTRICITY PRICES CAN SWING DRAMATICALLY. It highlights $36 → $216/MWH, A 6X DIFFERENCE IN ONE MONTH, and says that in June 2026 PJM wholesale electricity prices ranged from $36 to $216/MWh; COUNTERSPARK appears at the bottom right.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Batteries can save it for more expensive hours, while homes and businesses can shift some use away from those times. Together, those options can reduce how often the grid has to rely on higher-cost sources of electricity.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

More options on the table can help keep electricity costs down. More low-cost generation gives the grid cheaper options. Transmission helps move that electricity where it’s needed.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

When transmission lines are crowded, lower-cost electricity can’t always get to where it’s needed. Grid operators may have to use more expensive power nearby instead. Expanding and upgrading transmission can ease those bottlenecks and help lower-cost electricity reach more people.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Fossil fuels often fill that role. BUT WIND AND SOLAR DON’T HAVE FUEL COSTS. Adding clean power can reduce how often higher-cost gas plants are needed to meet demand and limit wholesale price spikes that can make their way onto our bills. CHEAPER POWER CAN EXIST AND STILL BE OUT OF REACH.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

As demand rises and those options run out, grid operators have to turn to more expensive sources, pushing wholesale prices higher. FOSSIL FUELS CAN MOVE THE PRICE OF POWER. In energy markets, the most expensive resource needed to meet demand usually sets the market price.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Electricity demand changes hour to hour, along with weather, outages, and the amount and type of power available to meet it. Lower-cost power is generally used first.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

What power is available, what it costs, and whether it can reach us when we need it all shape the price of electricity. AND MORE WAYS TO MEET DEMAND CAN KEEP ELECTRICITY COSTS DOWN. Why energy costs more at certain times of day:

Spark Notes infographic on a cream background with a photo of power transmission towers. It says Electricity prices can swing a lot throughout the day. Why? and explains that production costs change with demand and available supply; a caption adds that clean energy is often lowest-cost while high fuel costs and crowded transmission lines can raise prices. Bottom text says SWIPE THROUGH TO SEE HOW and COUNTERSPARK.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

She serves on the Boards of Directors for the Mississippi Early Learning Alliance, Greenlink Analytics, and Georgia Organics and the Advisory Board of the Turner Environmental Law Clinic at Emory University.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

A passionate advocate for sustainability and innovation, Mandy holds a master’s degree in environmental management from Duke University and a Juris Doctor alongside a Bachelor of Science in biology and environmental studies from Emory University.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

With extensive leadership experience, Mandy has held key roles, including Director of the Building Technologies Office and Senior Advisor at the U.S. Department of Energy, President of the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance, and Director of Sustainability for the City of Atlanta.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

She partners with energy industry executives and commercial power consumers to navigate complex affordability and infrastructure challenges. Her practice focuses on driving customer-centric energy strategies and aligning major capital investments with local community priorities.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

We are thrilled to announce a new Counterspark board member, Mandy Mahoney. Mandy is the CEO of MahoneyOne, a boutique consulting firm specializing in advancing climate and clean energy solutions across the Southeast and beyond.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Prior to her time on the Hill, Marneé worked as News Director at KRTV and KXLH and as Chief Political Correspondent at the Montana Television Network. Marneé lives in Washington D.C. and spends her free time flyfishing, mountain biking, and adventuring with her rescue pup Evie.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Previously, she served as communications director for U.S. Senator Jon Tester helping him navigate the nomination of a Supreme Court Justice, two government shutdowns, tax reform, banking reform, and multiple attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Before joining GSG, Marneé was the chief communications and operating officer for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, running communications, finance, and operations for the national non-profit.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

We are excited to welcome Marneé Banks to the Counterspark board! Marneé has spent her career combining creativity and strategic leadership to deliver results for non-profits, elected officials, and media organizations.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Electricity demand is rising fast. The real question is how we meet the peaks. That choice shapes what gets built, how much new infrastructure we need, and what we ultimately pay.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

What we build to meet it is what decides how much we have to pay.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

One national analysis found that meeting expected growth with clean power, storage, efficiency, and flexible demand would cost $5.1 billion less in 2030 than a more fossil fuel-heavy path, a savings of 17%. The growth is coming either way.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

But rising demand doesn't have to mean rising bills. What gets built to meet it, and what that costs, is still a choice.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

THE MATH ON: GROWING POWER DEMAND U.S. electricity demand could grow 15 to 20% over the next decade. At today's scale, that's roughly half of everything American homes use in a year, added onto the grid. Generation already hit a record in 2025, and residential prices climbed along with it.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Electricity demand is growing, but higher demand doesn’t have to mean higher bills. How utilities plan for the busiest hours, what we build, and how well we use the grid we already have can all shape what we ultimately pay.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Growing electricity use can put upward pressure on bills, but the size of that increase isn’t predetermined. What gets built, when we use electricity, and who pays for those investments all shape what growing demand ultimately costs us.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

But if new demand comes at other times, or can be shifted through storage and increased efficiency, it can make better use of infrastructure we already have and reduce how much new spending is needed.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

If demand during those hours keeps growing, utilities may need expensive new generation, transmission, substations, and other upgrades.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

But how much we pay depends on when that demand arrives and what has to be built to serve it. The grid has to be ready for its busiest hours, when homes and businesses are using the most power.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

SPARK NOTES: What does growing electricity demand mean for our bills? Electricity demand is soaring. More demand can mean more spending on the power system, and some of that cost can eventually show up on our bills.

SPARK NOTES headline over an orange graphic of electrical transmission towers and power lines. Large text reads ELECTRICITY DEMAND IS GROWING. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR YOUR BILL? and smaller text says It depends on when that electricity is needed, whether the grid is built with the capacity to serve it, and how those costs are distributed. COUNTERSPARK appears at the bottom.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

The energy system shapes what we pay, how reliable our power is, and what gets built in our communities. Over the next 12 weeks, Spark Notes will break down the decisions, technologies, and tradeoffs shaping where our power comes from and what it costs.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

This year’s theme, Unidos, Somos Más. Together, We Are More., recognizes the strength of our communities and the many histories, traditions, and experiences that shape them. Happy Hispanic Heritage Month from Counterspark.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

From September 15 through October 15, we celebrate the histories, cultures, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities across the country.

Hispanic Heritage Month poster with a cream background and colorful geometric border patterns in orange, teal, and red along the top, left, right, and bottom edges. Center text reads “HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH” with “Unidos, Somos Más. Together, We Are More.” beneath it.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

If manufactured opposition is showing up, we need to show up too. Reporting/audio: Kathiann M. Kowalski, Canary Media via Ohio Newsroom. Full story: twp.ai/9Ob7zu

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

An Ohio solar project was denied after regulators cited substantial local opposition. But dozens of opposing comments in the public record appeared to use fake names or locations, and once questionable and duplicate comments were removed, most submitted comments supported the project.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

So we should be asking whether the projects going onto our bills are the upgrades we need at the lowest cost, or simply more spending that earns the utility a return.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

We do need major investments to update the grid and meet growing electricity demand. But utilities can earn a return on some infrastructure investments

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Utilities are pushing more than $101 BILLION in rate hikes this year alone, with 71% of electric customers facing increases already in effect or proposed.

Poster with a black top section reading “UTILITIES WANT TO ADD MORE THAN $101 BILLION TO OUR BILLS.” and “71% of electricity customers are facing higher rates or proposed increases.” Below, a man and woman sit close together reviewing utility bills and paperwork at a table, with the word “COUNTERSPARK” visible on one document.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Long-term energy security means needing less oil in the first place. Building more clean power at home and electrifying more of what currently runs on oil can make us more self-reliant, while leaving us less exposed to the next disruption in global oil markets.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Even if we control more of the supply, oil is still traded on a global market, where wars and supply disruptions can drive up prices here at home. We’ve seen that again this year as disruptions in the Middle East pushed global oil prices higher.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

The Trump administration has finalized a deal tying U.S. energy strategy to Venezuelan oil for the next 100 years. The White House itself says the agreement secures “energy dominance for the next century.” That’s a long time to plan around continued dependence on oil.

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countersparkus.bsky.social @countersparkus.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Transmission, storage, local power and efficiency can help keep electricity moving and speed up recovery when extreme weather knocks part of the system offline.

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