Marcus Thompson

Marcus Thompson spent twenty-five years in the utility industry, rising from electrical engineer to senior executive at Duke Energy before transitioning to analyzing regulated utilities as an investor. His career spanned generation, transmission, distribution, and regulatory affairs, giving him comprehensive understanding of utility operations and rate regulation. Marcus holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from NC State and learned utility economics through decades of experience rather than business school. He understands rate base growth, regulatory frameworks, allowed returns on equity, and the complex interplay between utilities, regulators, and customers. Marcus excels at analyzing which utilities have constructive regulatory environments, smart capital allocation, and manageable transition challenges as renewable energy penetration increases. He was early to recognize that grid modernization would drive substantial utility investment and correctly predicted which utilities would face challenges with coal fleet retirements. His analysis covers investor-owned utilities, transmission companies, and the infrastructure supporting the evolving electric grid. Marcus also tracks how distributed energy resources, electric vehicles, and electrification create both opportunities and disruption for utilities. Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, he brings insider perspective to this defensive, yield-oriented sector experiencing transformational change.