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AARP Texas Works to Keep Electricity Affordable for Texans
As Texas grows and electricity demand rises, AARP is advocating for fair rates, strong consumer protections and policies that protect residential customers.
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For millions of Texans, electricity is more than another monthly expense. It is essential to staying safe and healthy at home.
That’s why AARP Texas works to keep electricity affordable and ensure residential customers are treated fairly as Texas’ energy needs grow.
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“Affordable utilities are fundamental to financial security and the ability to live independently as we age,” said Lisa A. Rodriguez, AARP Texas state director. “Our work on electricity is part of a broader effort to help older Texans and their families afford the essentials and remain secure in their homes and communities.”
That focus is particularly important for retirees and others who may have limited ability to increase their income when household costs rise. In a recent article announcing AARP Texas’ 2027 legislative priorities, Rodriguez identified affordability as a growing concern for older Texans, pointing to rising electricity, water, insurance, property tax and housing costs.
“An electric bill doesn’t exist in isolation,” said Stephanie Mace, associate state director of advocacy and outreach at AARP Texas. “It competes with food, housing, prescriptions, health care, insurance and all the other expenses in a household budget.”
Mace recently brought that message to the Texas Energy Summit in Austin, where she discussed electricity affordability and its impact on older Texans.
Affordability, safety and fairness
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In Texas, electricity can also pose health and safety risks. Extreme heat and cold can be particularly dangerous for older adults, and some Texans rely on electricity to operate essential medical equipment.
“There’s a point where using less electricity stops being conservation and starts becoming a health and safety issue,” Mace said.
AARP Texas has heard from consumers who say rising electricity costs have forced them to unplug appliances, limit heating and air conditioning or cut back on groceries. Mace has pored through the consumer comments. She recalls one Texan who told AARP: “When your electricity bill is approaching your mortgage payment, that’s frightening.”
Mace contends affordability should be considered by policymakers well before costs ever reach a customer’s bill. For AARP Texas, that means advocating for reasonable residential rates, strong consumer protections, effective energy-efficiency and weatherization programs, and fairness in determining who pays for new energy infrastructure.
Keeping Costs Fair as Texas Grows
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Texas’ growing electricity needs also raise questions about who should pay for new infrastructure.
As large electricity users, including data centers, add demand to the system, Mace said AARP Texas believes existing residential customers should not automatically bear a disproportionate share of the costs and risks associated with serving that growth.
“Texas can welcome economic growth without making existing households the default payer or financial backstop for that growth,” Mace said.
The issue is also expected to be part of AARP Texas’ advocacy when state lawmakers return to Austin in 2027.
“With Texas growing and electricity demand increasing, questions about affordability, consumer protections and who pays for new infrastructure will deserve close attention during the upcoming legislative session,” said Jessica Lemann, AARP Texas advocacy manager. “We’ll be working to make sure the interests of older Texans and other residential customers are part of that conversation.”
AARP Texas is also advocating for stronger protections for customers struggling to keep their electricity connected, particularly during dangerous weather, while supporting longer-term solutions that help Texans reduce their energy costs.
“We shouldn’t focus only on helping someone pay an unaffordable bill,” Mace said. “We should also be asking what we can do to keep that bill affordable in the first place.”
For AARP Texas, affordable electricity is about more than energy. It is about protecting the financial security, health and independence of Texans as they age.
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