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Energy and Policy Institute
@energyandpolicy.org
Exposing attacks on clean energy and countering misinformation by fossil fuel and utility interests. Learn more at www.energyandpolicy.org
Reposted by Energy and Policy Institute
Reposted by Energy and Policy Institute
Americans are paying record-high utility bills, and it’s not just inflation or extreme weather. A new @harpers.bsky.social investigation by @nickbowlin.bsky.social lays out how utilities, regulators, and Wall Street work together to lock in rising costs for customers. harpers.org/archive/2026...
Power Brokers, by Nick Bowlin
What’s really behind your soaring utility bills
harpers.org
December 18, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Reposted by Energy and Policy Institute
A new report commissioned by the Southern Environmental Law Center finds utilities in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina are planning for data-center-driven electricity demand growth that has a roughly 0.2% chance of actually occurring.
New report exposes inflated load growth projections from data centers in the Southeast - Southern Environmental Law Center
WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new report released today by Greenlink Analytics and Science for Georgia, commissioned by the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), finds that energy load growth attributed to...
www.selc.org
December 17, 2025 at 5:30 PM
The True Cost of Power: Duke Energy’s Climate Deception peels back the curtain on how Duke Energy, long after knowing fossil fuels drive climate change, supported denial and delayed the clean energy transition. This film shows why accountability matters. www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiCh...
The True Cost Of Power: Duke Energy's Climate Deception
YouTube video by NC WARN
www.youtube.com
December 16, 2025 at 7:22 PM
From @stateline.org: b/w Jan. and Sept. of this year, average home electricity rates increased 11.7% -- more than triple the rate of inflation. Some states have rejected rate increase proposals or promised affordability, but is it enough for consumers? bit.ly/455rEmv
Rising electric bills lead to state scrutiny — but little relief for residents • Stateline
The last time the Maine Public Utilities Commission considered an electricity price hike, the proposal received fewer than 90 comments from the public. Three years later, amid skyrocketing energy pric...
bit.ly
December 11, 2025 at 7:35 PM
🚨: A representative for the American Gas Association joined interviews for Maryland’s top utility regulator—despite the PSC regulating AGA members. Documents raise serious red flags about industry influence as utility bills continue to increase. bit.ly/3MPgWu1
Documents reveal American Gas Association staffer joined interview process for open Maryland Public Service Commission seats
An American Gas Association staffer joined interviews for Maryland Gov. Moore’s appointments to the Public Service Commission.
bit.ly
December 11, 2025 at 3:42 PM
What makes the most sense to help one of MA's most economically distressed communities? Raise their rates, of course! At least that's what Liberty Utilities plans to do with their 55% rate increase request - which would help recover nearly $95 million. bit.ly/48ZpO97
@cwbeacon.bsky.social
Healey’s energy affordability push faces test in one of Massachusetts’s poorest communities  - CommonWealth Beacon
Liberty Utilities, which services a small southeastern pocket of Massachusetts, filed its rate hike request in June and is asking the Department of Public Utilities for permission to raise gas rates b...
bit.ly
December 9, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Reposted by Energy and Policy Institute
In short, yes, except under a few narrow circumstances -- but it doesn't have to be that way. There are states that completely ban cutoffs during the winter, and North Carolina could do so, too.
Can an NC utility company turn off your power during a cold snap?
State law prevents utility companies from shutting off power for some residents.
www.newsobserver.com
December 4, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Today in @prospect.org: According to the Energy and Policy Institute (EPI), IOUs “often use donations to charitable organizations as a means to encourage organizations to support their political agenda.” Read it here: bit.ly/4pi4GRm
Lightning in a Bottle - The American Prospect
Regulatory capture is at the root of the affordability crisis in electricity. Public power could offer a way out.
prospect.org
December 3, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Reposted by Energy and Policy Institute
North Carolina's governor and attorney general are opposing Duke Energy's proposed rate hikes for its North Carolina utilities. www.qcnews.com/news/duke-en...
December 3, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Top lawyers for Consumers Energy and DTE donated to a MI AG candidate's primary race. If she wins, this AG will go head-to-head against the utilities' attorneys on regulatory battles. Conflict of interest or good 'ol politicking? We'll let you decide.
https://bit.ly/4q4AmK7
Utility lawyers’ donations to Michigan AG candidate raise conflict-of-interest concerns • Michigan Advance
Updated at 3:34 p.m. Top lawyers for Consumers Energy and DTE Energy have donated to a Michigan attorney general candidate’s primary race, raising conflict of interest questions about whether the util...
bit.ly
December 2, 2025 at 9:54 PM
That's it. That's the post.

(Report and graphics done by @tcfdotorg.bsky.social: tcf.org/content/comm...)
November 24, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Private equity groups have focused in on utilities a lot more recently and one that's currently being tapped for a potential sale is the New Mexico Gas Company. Turns out when you don't really know what you're doing, things can get... messy. energyandpolicy.org/new-mexico-g...
New Mexico Gas Company latest utility facing private equity takeover
A private equity firm checkered with compliance problems and cost overruns is attempting to buy the New Mexico Gas Company (NMGC), raising concerns from regulators, environmental advocates and custome...
energyandpolicy.org
November 21, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Reposted by Energy and Policy Institute
Update: A spokesperson for the PUCO confirmed to @energyandpolicy.org that yesterday's order prevents FirstEnergy from recovering $108 million in shady "corporate overhead" expenses from customers of the company's Ohio utilities energyandpolicy.org/firstenergy-...
PUCO stops FirstEnergy from making Ohio customers pay $108 million for a corporate accounting foul-up flagged by regulatory audits
FirstEnergy wants to add $108 million to the rates paid by customers of its Ohio utilities so the company can avoid taking a loss for a corporate accounting foul-up flagged repeatedly in audits by sta...
energyandpolicy.org
November 20, 2025 at 10:25 PM
Reposted by Energy and Policy Institute
Great piece from @emilypont.bsky.social on a most obvious and elegant tool to ease the burden of rising utility bills, if state regulators are willing to use it: cut utility profits
heatmap.news/energy/calif...
What If Utilities Just Made Less Money?
California energy companies are asking for permission to take in more revenue. Consumer advocates are having none of it.
heatmap.news
November 20, 2025 at 2:20 PM
As Ameren rakes in hundreds of millions of $$$ in profits, they continue to disconnect thousands of customers for missing payments. Their offered solution is to have customers apply for LIHEAP - which was eliminated in the Trump administration's 2026 budget. www.ksdk.com/article/news...
Ameren cut off over 17,000 Missourians from electricity in October
The monopoly utility made $640 million in profits last quarter as future energy assistance for Missouri's families is threatened.
www.ksdk.com
November 20, 2025 at 2:54 PM
A new analysis of consumer data shows past due balances to utility companies jumped 9.7% annually to $789 between April-June periods of 2024 and 2025. This overlaps with a 12% jump in monthly energy bills during the same period. apnews.com/article/trum...
New analysis shows more US consumers are falling behind on their utility bills
A new analysis of consumer data shows that more people in the United States are falling behind on their utility bills.
apnews.com
November 19, 2025 at 7:03 PM
You're never going to believe it, but DTE Energy is being tied to something shady from back in 2020 that is just now coming to "light." (See what we did?) Read more about DTE's alleged campaign finance scandal here: michiganadvance.com/2025/11/11/c...
Complaint argues DTE-tied group aimed to funnel $100k into Unlock Michigan campaign • Michigan Advance
A Michigan nonprofit with ties to one of the state’s largest energy companies is accused of participating in a dark money scheme to funnel money into an effort to overturn the governor’s COVID-19 emer...
michiganadvance.com
November 17, 2025 at 2:56 PM
A private equity company that *checks notes* failed to operate and maintain a water treatment facility and upon inspection there was found to be a build-up of sludge and bloodworms (🤢 ) now wants to purchase the New Mexico Gas Company. What could go wrong? energyandpolicy.org/new-mexico-g...
November 14, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Reposted by Energy and Policy Institute
A New Mexico gas utility is the latest to face a private equity takeover bid, this time by a firm whose failure to properly maintain an earlier water utility acquisition led to sludge build-up and bloodworms on the system energyandpolicy.org/new-mexico-g...
New Mexico Gas Company latest utility facing private equity takeover
A private equity firm checkered with compliance problems and cost overruns is attempting to buy the New Mexico Gas Company (NMGC), raising concerns from regulators, environmental advocates and custome...
energyandpolicy.org
November 14, 2025 at 2:10 PM
Ameren, the monopoly utility serving the people of Missouri, made $640 million in profits last quarter. Yet records released by the MO Public Utility Commission shows Ameren disconnected over 17,000 households in October for missed payments. 1.5% of their customers. www.ksdk.com/article/news...
Ameren cut off over 17,000 Missourians from electricity in October
The monopoly utility made $640 million in profits last quarter as future energy assistance for Missouri's families is threatened.
www.ksdk.com
November 14, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Reposted by Energy and Policy Institute
A new brief from the Center for Progressive Reform looks at alternatives to investor-owned utilities -- including electric cooperatives, publicly owned utilities, and community choice aggregators -- for achieving an equitable, clean energy transition.
Advancing a Clean, Equitable Energy Transition through Alternatives to Investor-Owned Utilities - Center for Progressive Reform
The energy sector needs creative solutions for addressing the worsening and unevenly distributed impacts of climate change. There is growing scientific consensus that we have already surpassed 1.5 deg...
progressivereform.org
November 12, 2025 at 3:45 PM
A new complaint filed alleges Michigan Energy First, a dark money group tied to DTE Energy (👀), violated the Michigan Campaign Finance Act when it funneled $100,000 in an effort to roll back pandemic emergency rules in 2020. michiganadvance.com/2025/11/11/c...
Complaint argues DTE-tied group aimed to funnel $100k into Unlock Michigan campaign • Michigan Advance
A Michigan nonprofit with ties to one of the state’s largest energy companies is accused of participating in a dark money scheme to funnel money into an effort to overturn the governor’s COVID-19 emer...
michiganadvance.com
November 12, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Reposted by Energy and Policy Institute
“We’ve heard from a number of utilities who are willing to be patient and help support their households getting on those payment plans and avoid disconnecting them for lack of payment right now. But that hasn’t been universal." The cruelty! kstp.com/money-matter...
Federal shutdown halts Minnesota energy assistance funds; utility companies offer aid
Around 125,000 households and roughly 300,000 Minnesotans rely on the program annually. 25,000 households depend on propane or other delivered fuels, which are not protected under Minnesota’s Cold Wea...
kstp.com
November 12, 2025 at 2:24 PM