$9.2 billion in second-quarter rate-hike requests hit state regulators, up 26% from a year earlier, even as first-half filings fell to $18.6 billion from about $25 billion.
PowerLines tied the surge to a utility capital-investment push, while EEI projects investor-owned utilities will spend about $1.4 trillion through 2030 and lift 2026 capex 17% to nearly $239 billion.
Oncor led individual Q2 filings with a $1.2 billion request, while Dominion sought about $1.5 billion across three cases and several Midwest utilities also pursued large increases.
Consumer pressure is rising because residential electricity prices already averaged 18.8 cents per kWh in April, up 7.3% year over year, with proposed increases averaging $193 per customer in the Midwest.
Regulators will review the cases over coming months, and PowerLines said 58% of utility cost requests from 2023 through 2024 were ultimately approved into rates.