All posts by Matt Kasper

Matt Kasper is the Deputy Director at the Energy and Policy Institute. He focuses on defending policies that further the development of clean energy sources. He also focuses on the companies and their front groups that obstruct policy solutions to global warming. Before joining the Energy and Policy Institute in 2014, Matt was a research assistant at the Center for American Progress where he worked on various state and local policy issues.

Utility Industry PACs Benefit GOP This Election Cycle

Some Support At-Risk Senate Democrats

/ November 2, 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

As Customers Struggled, Utility CEOs’ Pay Spiked Last Year

While many Americans saw their energy bills go up substantially in the past year, investor-owned electric and gas utilities and the country’s largest publicly owned utility paid their CEOs over...

/ July 18, 2024
EPA building

Utilities, once represented by UARG, now part of the ‘Electric Generators for a Sensible Transition’ in their suit against the EPA

A new ad hoc coalition of electric utilities has sued the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over its newly proposed rules to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from existing coal and new...

/ June 11, 2024

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

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
DTE Energy set a net-zero carbon goal but continues to invest in gas

New Michigan front group with connections to DTE Energy launches ahead of the elections

Protect Our Values, a new dark money front group with connections to DTE Energy appears to be preparing to send messages to voters this election season. Protect Our Values was...

/ July 5, 2022
Utility Corruption

FERC issues Notice of Inquiry to understand how it can protect customers from subsidizing trade association political activities

Federal energy regulators issued questions to the public last week as part of a process they may use to make it more difficult for the nation’s electric and gas utilities...

/ December 20, 2021

Washington DC PSC Rejects FOIA requests for records of Willie Phillips’ participation in industry-funded events

The Washington DC Public Service Commission has rejected a Freedom of Information Act request regarding Chairman Willie Phillips’ participation in invitation-only events funded in part by utilities, including a utility...

/ August 6, 2021

NRECA runs misleading pro-coal ads to sway Illinois lawmakers

As negotiations continue over a climate and energy bill in Illinois, misleading online advertisements from a group called “Voices for Cooperative Power” have appeared. The ads running in Illinois political...

/ July 15, 2021