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.

Emails shed light on discussions lobbyists for grid operator PJM Interconnection had with federal and state policymakers

The grid operator that coordinates the wholesale electricity markets in the U.S. Midwest has been lobbying for and against varying efforts to prop up uneconomic coal and nuclear plants in...

/ April 16, 2018

Soaring Pipeline Profits May Be Driving DTE Energy’s Proposed New Gas Plant; Creates Conflict of Interest

Flawed models suggest the company is prioritizing its gas subsidiary over the public interest

/ March 26, 2018

Indiana lawmaker with history of receiving gifts from utilities, sponsoring utility-friendly legislation, now to join commission that regulates them

Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb announced last week that he selected State Representative Dave Ober (R-Albion), chair of the House Committee on Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications and frequent recipient of utility...

/ March 25, 2018

Illinois utilities and executives continue to pour money into the attorney general campaign

With just a few weeks before the Illinois primary, ComEd, Exelon, and other utilities have increased their donations to several attorney general candidates, particularly Democratic candidates Kwame Raoul and Jesse Ruiz....

/ March 1, 2018

Utility Industry Contributing Millions to National Political Party Groups

Over $3 million in contributions to certain IRS 527 political organizations in 2017. More than $36 million over the past decade.

/ February 26, 2018

DTE Energy CEO Says Proposed Renewable Energy Standard Is Not Good For Renewables

A few days after it was announced that a petition process has started with the goal of having voters decide if Michigan utilities must have 30% of their power come...

/ February 20, 2018

Michigan’s utilities have a history of trying to block renewable energy increases like the one that could be on the ballot in November

A ballot campaign to increase Michigan’s state renewable energy standard (RES) is in the works. The proposal, led by a group called Clean Energy, Healthy Michigan, asks voters to double...

/ February 12, 2018

Records request reveal Exelon behind public officials’ statements in response to watchdog investigation

“could you cut and paste this text into an email to the Joliet Herald and send it this afternoon? The email is opinions@theherald-news.com.”

/ January 17, 2018

In the race to replace Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Illinois utilities pull out their checkbooks and hedge their bets

Illinois’ major electrical and gas utility companies have donated thousands of dollars to candidates running to replace Lisa Madigan as the state’s attorney general. The utility companies – Exelon and its...

/ January 16, 2018

FERC Commissioners received free travel to secretive beach conference, organized by FirstEnergy board member

"Private invite-only events that bring together powerful industry executives to mingle off the record with regulators and decision-makers only invites a conflict of interest." - Tyson Slocum, Public Citizen

/ December 8, 2017