The Media’s Energy Crisis Is Costing Customers Billions

When PJM’s latest capacity auction cleared at the price cap, much of the coverage followed a familiar script.

The region is running out of power. Demand is surging. Data centers are overwhelming the grid. Customers must pay more to preserve reliability.

That conclusion arrived quickly. The scrutiny did not.

Too much energy coverage now starts with the conclusion and works backward. Once the crisis frame is established, every fact is made to fit it. A high price becomes proof of scarcity. A forecast becomes proof of demand. A regulatory filing becomes proof of need. A warning from a grid operator or utility becomes the story rather than the beginning of the reporting.

Contradictory evidence is treated as a complication.

That is not a harmless media habit. It is becoming extraordinarily expensive. Electricity markets are complicated, but the questions reporters should ask are not.