All posts by Dave Anderson

Dave Anderson is the policy and communications manager for the Energy and Policy Institute. Dave has been working at the nexus of clean energy and public policy since 2008. Prior to joining the Energy and Policy Institute, he was an outreach coordinator for the climate and energy program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. He is also an alumnus of the Sierra Club and the Alliance for Climate Protection (now the Climate Reality Project). Dave’s research has helped to spur public scrutiny of political attacks on clean energy and climate science by powerful special interests, such as ExxonMobil and the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). His work has been cited by major media outlets, such as CBS News and the Wall Street Journal, and he has served as a speaker on panels at national solar industry conferences. Dave holds a MA in Political Science from the University of New Hampshire, where he also received a BA in Humanities.

Subpoenaed records detail FirstEnergy’s secret political spending to influence then-President Donald Trump 

How FirstEnergy, one of America’s most corrupt utilities, secretly spent millions of dollars as it pursued a multi-billion-dollar federal bailout for its coal and nuclear plants during Donald Trump’s presidency,...

/ October 9, 2024

Donald Trump and J.D. Vance PACs raked in millions from gas industry megadonors Karen Buchwald Wright and Thomas Rastin 

Ariel Corporation chairman and her spouse have also opposed new solar farms in Ohio Gas industry megadonor couple Karen Buchwald Wright and Thomas Rastin together contributed at least $2.4 million...

/ August 14, 2024

FirstEnergy floats $13.6 million refund in Pennsylvania in response to Ohio criminal investigation and audits of influence spending charged to customers 

FirstEnergy is proposing to refund $13.6 million to Pennsylvania customers who the company mischarged for payments related to the utility’s bribery schemes in Ohio, as well as advertising, lobbying, sports...

/ April 4, 2024

Blocking renewable energy is a top state legislative priority for network of pro-fossil fuels think tanks

The State Policy Network (SPN) announced on its website last month that it will focus on working with state lawmakers to prevent states from adopting wind and solar power in...

/ March 6, 2024

Who’s who in former PUCO chairman Samuel Randazzo’s indictment? 

A federal grand jury has indicted former Public Utilities Commission of Ohio chairman Samuel Randazzo on bribery and fraud charges.  FirstEnergy is not named in the indictment, which was unsealed...

/ December 4, 2023

Political consultant for pipeline company teams up with anti-wind and solar activists in Michigan 

A new group formed by anti-wind and solar activists in Michigan has teamed up with a Republican political consulting firm that also represents an oil and gas pipeline company to...

/ November 8, 2023

Potomac Edison faces Maryland audit after admitting it charged customers for FirstEnergy’s bribes and lobbying 

Maryland utility regulators ordered a new audit of Potomac Edison last week, after the FirstEnergy-owned utility admitted in a rate case that it owes nearly $1.7 million in refunds to...

/ October 26, 2023

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

Gas industry dark money group’s influence seen in Ohio budget bill 

Updated on July 4, 2023 after Governor Mike DeWine signed the budget and issued a partial veto of the All Ohio Future Fund that included funding for gas infrastructure. Parts...

/ July 3, 2023

FirstEnergy front group paid convicted lobbyist Matthew Borges’ firm to attack Cleveland Public Power 

This post is part two of a two-part blog series. Part one reveals FirstEnergy’s secret role in funding Consumers Against Deceptive Fees, based on subpoenaed bank records. Part two looks...

/ June 29, 2023