Principal Ryan Hledik Discusses Data Centers and Electricity Prices on Marketplace
Brattle Principal Ryan Hledik joined an episode of Marketplace, the American Public Media radio program, to discuss the evolving impact of data centers on electricity prices.
The episode, “Data centers lowered electric bills in some places — for now,” explored how, historically, data center growth has helped put downward pressure on average electricity prices in some regions by increasing utilization of existing grid infrastructure. Mr. Hledik discussed the extent to which those benefits may or may not persist if electricity demand from data centers begins to outpace available generation and transmission capacity, highlighting the importance of thoughtful planning as electricity demand continues to grow.
In the interview, Mr. Hledik referenced Retail Electricity Price Trends and Drivers: Data Update−2026 Edition, an updated Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory report that he coauthored. The report provides a comprehensive analysis of national, regional, and state retail electricity price trends through 2025, examining the factors driving recent price changes, the relationship between load growth and electricity prices, and recent utility rate cases.
