Energy Affordability is a Policy Choice with Lora Current | LPP 197
Why some states pay more—and how to fix it
Hello Friends!
Electricity bills are rising. Gas prices are volatile. And families across the country are feeling it. But here’s the uncomfortable truth policymakers don’t like to admit: High energy costs are not just the result of markets—they’re the result of policy choices.
Too often, lawmakers pass rules that sound good politically but quietly drive up costs, reduce reliability, and limit economic opportunity. And when prices rise, they blame everything except the policies that caused it. That needs to change.
In Episode 197 of the Let People Prosper Show, I interviewed Lora Current of the American Legislative Exchange Council to break down what’s really driving energy costs—and what states can do to fix it. If you care about affordability, economic growth, and getting policy right, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.
🎧 Listen to the full episode of the Let People Prosper Show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Find out more about my work at Ginn Economic Consulting here: vanceginn.com.
Who Is Lora Current?
Lora Current serves as Senior Manager of ALEC’s Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force, where she works directly with state leaders on policies grounded in limited government, free markets, and federalism.
She brings a unique mix of experience in policy, communications, and grassroots advocacy—having worked across issues from energy and technology to education and family formation. She also holds a master’s degree from Harvard and a bachelor’s from Ohio State.
But what makes her perspective especially valuable is that she connects policy to real life—whether through her work in communities, her involvement in 4-H, or her help on her family’s cattle farm. That matters when the issue is energy affordability.
🎯 Key Takeaways
1. Energy prices are driven by policy decisions
One of the clearest points from this conversation is that energy costs don’t just “happen.”
They are shaped by:
Regulations
Mandates
Subsidies
Market restrictions
States that prioritize reliable, affordable energy tend to have better outcomes. States that layer on mandates often don’t.
2. The “Energy Affordability Report” tells a deeper story
The Energy Affordability Report doesn’t just rank states—it connects outcomes to policy.
It evaluates:
Electricity prices
Fuel costs like gasoline and diesel
The policy frameworks driving those outcomes
The lesson is simple: policy choices show up in people’s monthly bills.
3. Well-intentioned policies often raise costs
Programs like:
Renewable portfolio standards
Net metering mandates
Cap-and-trade systems
…are often introduced with good intentions.
But they also:
Distort investment decisions
Increase system costs
Reduce reliability
And those costs get passed on to consumers.
4. Affordability and reliability must go together
Energy policy is often framed as a tradeoff between cost and other goals.
But the reality is:
Unreliable energy is expensive
Overregulated systems are fragile
Poor policy choices create long-term risks
States that get this right focus on all three: affordability, reliability, and competitiveness.
5. A pro-growth energy agenda is possible
If states want lower costs and stronger economies, the path forward is clear:
Encourage domestic energy production
Reduce unnecessary regulatory barriers
Avoid picking winners and losers
Let markets allocate resources efficiently
And just as importantly, stop doing the things that are driving costs up.
📚 Resources
Energy Affordability Report
https://alec.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/ALEC_EnergyAffordability2026.pdfLora Current bio
https://alec.org/person/lora-current/
Closing Thoughts
The debate over energy is often framed the wrong way. It’s not about choosing between affordability and other goals. It’s about whether policymakers are willing to accept the tradeoffs their decisions create. Because those tradeoffs are real—and they show up every month in people’s bills.
If we want more prosperity, more growth, and more opportunity, we need an energy policy that works with markets, not against them. That starts with better incentives, better economics, and a willingness to challenge policies that sound good but don’t deliver.
Subscribe to the newsletter, share this episode, and keep helping spread the message that better economics leads to better lives. Get more information about my work at Ginn Economic Consulting at vanceginn.com.
Let people prosper.
Vance Ginn, Ph.D.
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