All posts by Karlee Weinmann

Utilities Quietly Walk Back Commitments to Diverse Hiring, Social Justice

After spending the past half-decade scaling up efforts to diversify their workforces and suppliers as well as making and touting donations to social justice organizations, corporate utilities across the U.S....

/ April 30, 2025

CenterPoint’s deceptive billing practices put customers at risk of disconnection

The utility redirects customer payments for gas service to its for-profit appliance business

/ March 21, 2025

Xcel legal fight could force customers to pay more for exec pay

The utility balked after Minnesota regulators removed executive compensation costs from customers' bills

/ January 30, 2025
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