Are Electric Utilities in a Death Spiral?

With Americans installing more solar panels, utilities are selling less electricity. But the utilities’ costs haven’t dropped, so prices per kilowatt hour are rising, which makes rooftop panels even more cost-competitive and further encourages the spread of solar power. The result of this and related trends, including increased energy efficiency nationwide, may be a “death spiral” for electric utilities, says the Wall Street Journal. U.S. electricity consumption in 2013 is expected to be 2% below the peak in 2007.