U.S. houses are more energy efficient ... or are they? In this video, Tyler Crowe explains how modern houses are more energy efficient on a square foot basis, but since newer houses are bigger, they consume more energy on a per home basis. Utility companies will not be hurt by this trend. However, how utilities generate electricity is important. NRG Energy (NRG +1.77%) and TransCanada are better-positioned to exploit cheap natural gas than Exelon (EXC +0.87%) or Duke (DUK +1.01%). Also, new EPA regulations may significantly impact utilities that rely on coal or nuclear for electricity generation.





