The Utility Monopoly Nobody Votes For | Why Your Electric Bill Keeps Rising

The Utility Monopoly Nobody Votes For | Why Your Electric Bill Keeps Rising

From Hold 'em Accountable by Derrick Holder

May 29, 2026 · 44 min · Season 2 · Episode 3

About this episode

This episode explores the impact of utility monopolies on electricity rates and public accountability in America.

You can vote for President. You can vote for Governor. You can vote for Congress. You can even vote for the person deciding whether your county installs another stop sign nobody asked for. But the company deciding whether your electric bill jumps another $40 this summer? That decision was largely made long before you moved in. In this episode of Hold ’em Accountable , we take a deep dive into one of the most powerful systems most Americans rarely think about until the bill arrives: utility monopolies. Most Hoosiers believe electricity works like a market. Choice. Competition. Capitalism. The best company wins. The reality is very different. For most people, electricity is a regulated monopoly. Your provider is determined by where you live. You don't shop for electricity. You inherit it. And that changes everything. Electricity is no longer a luxury. It's not even a convenience. It is survival infrastructure. Heat in the winter. Air conditioning in the summer. Medical devices. Refrigeration. Internet access. Remote work. Modern life itself. That is why utility monopolies were allowed to exist in the first place. The original bargain was simple: utility companies would receive…

People in this episode

Host: Derrick Holder

Topics covered

  • utility monopolies
  • electricity rates
  • public accountability
  • regulated monopolies
  • energy infrastructure

Keywords

  • utility monopolies
  • electric bill
  • public accountability
  • regulated monopoly
  • energy infrastructure

Mentioned in this episode

Places: America, Hoosiers

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