All posts by Karlee Weinmann

Karlee Weinmann is a Research and Communications Manager for the Energy and Policy Institute. In her previous role at the City of Minneapolis, she focused on climate and land use policy and led development of nationally recognized ordinances that increase transparency of home energy costs. Karlee was also a researcher for the Energy Democracy Initiative at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and, before that, a reporter covering Wall Street dealmaking for a legal newswire. She lives in Minneapolis.

Utility Corruption

Report: Utilities charge customers for lobbying, corporate branding, and luxury lifestyle expenses

As state lawmakers prepare to convene for their 2025 legislative sessions, they have a clear opportunity to rein in a common practice by monopoly utilities to charge their customers for...

/ December 11, 2024

CenterPoint lobbyist ghostwrote comments to support gas appliance rebates

Comments filed by appliance companies and a pro-gas group came after consumer and climate advocates disputed CenterPoint’s rebate program.

/ November 19, 2024

WEC Energy’s We Energies Foundation contributed $2 million to Republican National Convention

The utility previously declined to reveal its contribution

/ September 18, 2024

Wisconsin utilities file for rate, profit hikes after Republicans ousted Huebner from PSC

A trio of Wisconsin utilities owned by WEC Energy Group is pushing to raise rates after Republican lawmakers ousted state utility regulator Tyler Huebner.

/ June 7, 2024

Utility campaign giving nears $500K as Michigan lawmakers weigh energy bills

DTE Energy and Consumers Energy PAC spending this year favors Democrats, who have a trifecta and have pledged to pass clean energy bills.

/ October 27, 2023

Michigan legislators took $176K from DTE since pledging new era of utility accountability after outage backlash

DTE Energy's contributions to campaign and party funds come as Democrats attempt to pass climate and consumer protection bills.

/ October 18, 2023

Xcel-funded group urges Minnesota regulators to increase profits for Xcel

Minnesota Utility Investors, a shareholder advocacy group, joins Xcel in pushing for PUC to reconsider rate case decision

/ July 9, 2023

DTE Energy shareholders reject transparency proposal

Efforts to force utilities to disclose political spending information continue at the Michigan Legislature and PSC

/ May 15, 2023

Xcel pushing measure that has raised gas bills in Minnesota, scrapped in other states

Xcel Energy is fighting the scheduled sunset of a Minnesota law that enables utilities to charge customers hundreds of millions of dollars for fossil gas infrastructure upgrades without standard regulatory...

/ April 18, 2023

North Dakota has spent millions on a coal industry campaign targeting 100% clean energy legislation in Minnesota

A North Dakota coal industry front group, the Lignite Energy Council, has jumped state lines to wage a campaign to weaken a bill in Minnesota that would require the state’s...

/ January 18, 2023