The real cost of outdated utility regulation, according to PowerLines CEO Charles Hua

Utility regulation doesn’t usually light up the algorithms on social media, but it’s a topic that quietly determines how much customers pay for electricity, who benefits from new clean energy investments, and whether innovation actually reaches everyday households. In other words, the utility regulation process directly impacts every single household and business and sets the stage for what our energy system of tomorrow will be. So as utilities face rising costs, new large loads from AI and electrification, and growing public scrutiny around affordability, the question isn’t whether regulation matters—it’s whether it’s keeping up. In this episode of Power Perspectives, host Kinsey Grant Baker dives into that question with one of the leaders best poised to give an authoritative answer: Charles Hua, TIME100 Next honoree and Founder of PowerLines. Charles helps us to unpack how modernizing utility regulation can lower bills, build trust, and ensure the clean energy transition works for everyone. From AI-driven load growth to customer equity metrics and performance-based regulation, this conversation offers utility leaders a practical framework for embedding equity and long-term perspectives into decision-making—not as an afterthought, but as a core business strategy. Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe