California electric bills double under mandates
Residential electicity costs in California have doubled over the last ten years, as decarbonization mandates introduced in 2015 limit supply and create perverse incentives for energy providers. “These mandates force utility providers to overhaul their energy generation, storage, and transmission systems, all of which are costly endeavors at the scale required,” writes California Policy Institute’a Sahil Shah. “PG&E plans to invest $73 billion in capital expenditures through 2030 to re-engineer its systems and bring them into compliance with state mandates.”

Priciest city in U.S. gets pricier, faster
New York City’s reputation for high quality of life at affordable prices could be in jeopardy due to a metropolitan inflation rate that runs nearly a full percentage point above the national urban average. “According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Consumer Price Index for the New York–Newark–Jersey City area rose 3.2 percent over the year ending in February 2026, compared with a 2.4 percent increase for urban consumers nationwide,” write Ali Nikahd and Yash Kisan Dagadkhair of the Empire Center for Public Poicy. “For a New York–area household spending about $90,000 a year, a 3.2 percent inflation rate translates into roughly $2,880 in higher annual costs. Because inflation in the region ran 0.8 percentage points above the national average, that household is paying about $720 more per year than a comparable urban household elsewhere in the country.” The Big Apple did not rack up the nation’s highest year-over-year inflation rate. That distinction belongs to Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, which posted a 3.5% inflation rate.

Nebraska assumes responsibility for federal environmental reviews
In a move that could streamline infrastructure projects, Nebraska’s transportation department is taking on the responsibility, and some of the risks, of project reviews mandated by the National Environmental Policy Act. “Governor Jim Pillen and U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced a landmark agreement that allows the Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) to assume full responsibility and legal liability for federal environmental reviews,” writes the Platte Institute’s Laura Ebke. “Nebraska is now one of only nine states to join this elite ‘NEPA Assignment’ program.” Other states in the program include Alaska, Texas, Utah, Maine, Arizona, California, Florida, and Ohio. Though the change increases the Cornhusker State’s exposure to environmental lawsuits, Ebke says, it could pay off in efficiency, costs savings, and local expertise.

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