All posts by Kelly Roache

Kelly Roache was a research and communications specialist at the Energy and Policy Institute.

Duke, Southern disclose misleading descriptions of climate policy advocacy to ESG investors

Facing pressure from investors, the top two carbon polluting utilities in the country are making gestures to disclose more information about their advocacy with regard to climate policy, but the...

/ March 15, 2021

Dominion Energy nearly quadruples Virginia political contributions from 2018 to 2020

Utility directed large, repeat contributions to legislators

/ January 28, 2021

Dominion Energy rewards Virginia political allies with bipartisan, off-year campaign contributions in 2020

Utility boosted friendly state legislators, despite none facing re-election this year, while executives and lobbyists supported Richmond stalwarts in city races

/ November 17, 2020

Duke Energy spends big on Republicans, “soft money” groups in 2020 election

In the states and federally, utility maintains focus on GOP – amid potential shifts in North Carolina, US Senate control – coupled with hard-to-trace campaign finance entities

/ November 1, 2020

Virginia budget amendments may allow Dominion Energy to pass COVID debt forgiveness costs on to ratepayers later

Advanced by House and Senate appropriators who have accepted over $2 million from the utility, amendments quash proposal to use $320 million in Dominion over-earnings to forgive ratepayers’ arrears during...

/ September 29, 2020

Pollution Payday: analysis of executive compensation and incentives of the largest U.S. investor-owned utilities

While the coronavirus pandemic has devastated the U.S. economy, leaving millions of Americans struggling to afford their utility bills, the top executives for those utilities continue breaking their own records...

/ September 22, 2020

Who is behind anti-regional transmission organization ads in the Southeast?

Google ads appear as Duke Energy, Southern Company advocate for more limited regional exchange, and following anti-RTO Facebook ads from dark money group

/ August 18, 2020

North Carolina utilities not reconnecting customers during COVID-19 pandemic

Thousands remain without electricity, gas, or water during crisis

/ May 12, 2020

Duke Energy Climate Report charts fossil fuel-laden path to net-zero, lagging behind peers

Key Points: Duke Energy released a new climate report describing potential pathways to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Its main scenario relies heavily on fossil gas expansion, offsets, and...

/ May 5, 2020

Duke Energy refuses to consider climate-related risk in North Carolina rate case

Utility enters testimony that contradicts emissions commitments, dodges questions about climate preparedness while seeking to recover grid costs.

/ March 10, 2020