US utilities set to hit highest lobbying spend in over a decade at $150M

US utilities are on track to spend $150 million on lobbying this year, reaching the highest level in more than a decade, according to fresh data from nonprofit OpenSecrets.

The figure would be about 14% more than the $132 million spent last year and would be the most since 2010, according to the nonpartisan OpenSecrets, which tracks lobbying and political spending.

The increase means that the power sector is now on roughly the same footing as oil and gas, hospitals and securities, Dan Auble, a senior researcher at OpenSecrets, said in an interview.

The once-sleepy utility industry has been thrust into the public spotlight as the AI boom and electrification has sent power demand growing at levels not seen in decades. The change means that the companies are now at the center of political debates over customer bills. At the same time, the Trump administration’s moves against solar and wind energy have also impacted the sector’s plans for carbon reduction.

“It’s clear that overall there has been an increased interest in influencing Congress and the federal government,” Auble said.

He added that the number of companies lobbying on data center issues has approximately doubled: “A lot of companies sense that there could be regulation coming and they want their team on the ground and the ear of Congress as that legislation comes to a head.”

Read More: AI Data Centers Are Sending Power Bills Soaring

OpenSecrets released its third-quarter lobbying data on its website last week. US utilities spent almost $108 million in the first three quarters of 2025, compared with about $99 million for the same period last year.

Southern Co. spent the most with more than $8 million, followed by the trade group Edison Electric Institute, Duke Energy, NextEra Energy and PG&E Corp, according to the data. Bloomberg