Category: Politics

Introspective profiles and spotlights on today’s global politics.

Virginia bill would bar utilities from charging customers for politics, joining other states

A Virginia lawmaker introduced a bill last week that, if passed, would prohibit the utilities Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power from charging customers for many of their political activities.  The...

/ January 17, 2024

Fossil fuel money lurks behind anti-offshore wind power political ads in New Jersey 

A Republican group that paid for anti-offshore wind power ads targeting Democrats ahead of New Jersey’s November 7 state legislative elections raked in hundreds of thousands of dollars from the...

/ October 23, 2023

Ohio bill would bar utilities from charging customers for politics

Separate legislation would protect children, elderly, low-income customers from shut-offs.

/ September 6, 2023

Legislation introduced by Rep. Kathy Castor instructs FERC to ban utilities from using ratepayer dollars for political activities

The “Ethics in Energy Act” also aims to increase transparency and add penalties for noncompliance

/ August 2, 2023

Dominion Energy loses some of its legislative champions in Virginia primaries

UPDATE: After publication, the official list of candidates certified for the November ballot was released by the Virginia Department of Elections, showing Scott Surovell and Adam Ebbin both have general...

/ July 10, 2023
Utility Corruption

Maine becomes third state this year to pass legislation prohibiting utilities from charging ratepayers for political activities 

Maine joins Connecticut and Colorado to pass comprehensive utility accountability legislation in 2023

/ June 21, 2023

American Gas Association Facebook campaign targets agency exploring health risks of gas stoves

Consumer Product Safety Commission docket flooded with AGA comments

/ May 23, 2023

FirstEnergy secretly ‘engaged’ Corey Lewandowski to lobby Trump for a public bailout, subpoenaed records confirm after years of denials

FirstEnergy secretly ‘engaged’ Donald Trump’s former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski to lobby President Trump to deliver a public bailout for the utility company’s coal and nuclear power plants in 2017-2018,...

/ December 22, 2022

Utility executive contributions surge in Minnesota state senate race

Out-of-state utility execs flood campaign in a district with a population of just 85,000

/ August 1, 2022

Southwest Gas connected to web of opposition targeting Nevada Assemblywoman

The gas utility and a front group look to unseat Assemblywoman who introduced climate legislation ahead of the June 14 primary

/ June 6, 2022