Consumer Regulated Energy with Glen Lyons | Let People Prosper Ep. 148🎙️

How consumer regulation can fix broken energy markets.

Hello Friends!

Why is the electricity market so broken—and what can we do to fix it?

In this episode of the Let People Prosper Show, I interview Glen Lyons, a Texas-based energy expert and advocate for Consumer Regulated Electricity (CRE). Glen shares his journey from advertising to energy policy, offering unique insights on ERCOT’s dysfunction, the original sin of electricity monopolies, and how free markets—not central planning—can finally unleash innovation, reliability, and cost savings for consumers.

We also explore the growing demands of data centers, the role of AI in energy usage, and why Texas has a golden opportunity to lead the way with CRE.

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🎯 Key Takeaways

1. The Original Sin of Electricity Markets

• Glen explains how early political bargains created monopoly utilities rather than competitive markets. ERCOT’s price caps prevent true price discovery, distorting supply and demand signals. Legislators are stuck making decisions in an overly complex system they don’t fully control.

2. Consumer Regulated Electricity (CRE) as a Solution

• CRE introduces real competition by allowing consumers to choose electricity providers. It avoids the central planning trap described by Hayek and empowers price signals. CRE could make Texas the global leader in electricity market innovation.

3. Innovation, Data Centers, and the Future of Power

• Massive energy demands from data centers and AI are reshaping market needs. Free market dynamics—not expert guesswork—are the best way to balance supply and innovation. Fear of past energy failures shouldn’t justify bad regulation—it should push smarter reforms.

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Timestamps:

• 00:00 – Introduction and Background of Glen Lyons

• 02:41 – Glen’s Career and Economic Philosophy

• 09:11 – Why Electricity Markets Are Unique—and Flawed

• 14:24 – What’s Broken in ERCOT

• 20:08 – Government’s Role in Energy Policy

• 22:56 – How Price Caps Distort Electricity Signals

• 25:00 – Consumer Regulated Electricity: A Bold Proposal

• 30:01 – Texas: The Ideal Testbed for Energy Innovation

• 33:55 – Economic Freedom and Real Market Solutions

• 37:59 – AI, Data Centers, and the Future of Power

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🔚 Final Thoughts

Electricity shouldn’t be this complicated—but politics made it so. As Glen Lyons explains, Texas has an opportunity to flip the script with Consumer Regulated Electricity and lead a new era of energy reform grounded in economic freedom. Rather than doubling down on central planning and regulatory guesswork, we should trust the power of markets to drive innovation, reduce costs, and meet the growing demands of a digital economy.

Let’s break free from the old monopoly model and embrace real competition in electricity, because true prosperity is powered by freedom!

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