But regardless of where we gather it, the energy itself almost always comes from the sun. Don’t believe me? Let’s think about it: When you burn coal, it reacts with oxygen and releases energy. But where did that energy come from?

The new MIT-backed platform reveals what’s driving rising power bills and why costs could keep climbing for households across the country.

Li Cohen is a senior social media producer at CBS News. She previously wrote for amNewYork and The Seminole Tribune. She mainly covers climate, environmental and weather news. Senior Coordinating Producer of Climate and Environmental Coverage Tracy J.