Electricity Prices in the U.S. Are Capping Their Worst Year Ever
- Cheap natural gas and renewables have lowered fuel costs
- Consumers, business using less electricity also a factor
Power lines, Kearny, NJ.
Photographer: Steve Hockstein/BloombergElectricity prices from Boston to Dallas sank to their lowest levels ever in 2016, presenting new challenges for generators more than a decade after the industry was deregulated.
Power prices plunged this year as cheap natural gas cut fuel costs, and wind and solar alternatives came online. Consumers also used less electricity for the second straight year, despite a summer heat wave, amid an industrial slowdown and growing awareness among households and businesses of ways to boost energy efficiency, according to government estimates.