Joe Smyth Category: Reports
Coal and water conflicts in the American West
Electric utilities that operate coal plants in the American West face growing water supply risks, as climate change fuels hotter and drier conditions.
Strings Attached: How utilities use charitable giving to influence politics and increase investor profits
Click to jump to the utility case studies. I. Introduction In the fall of 2017, a parade of paid actors, pretending to be concerned residents, lined up to offer public...
Utility Carbon Targets Reflect Decarbonization Slowdown In Crucial Next Decade
Many of the nation's largest utilities are planning to slow down their efforts to decarbonize, according to the companies' own goals.
Utility Industry Contributions to Section 527 Political Organizations
Over 70 investor-owned utility holding companies and their subsidiaries have contributed more than $85 million from 2008 through 2024 to the Republican Governors Association, Republican Attorneys General Association, Republican State Leadership...
Utilities Knew: Documenting Electric Utilities’ Early Knowledge and Ongoing Deception on Climate Change From 1968-2017
Scientists had begun to warn electric utilities about climate change by 1968, and by 1988 the industry’s official research and development organization had acknowledged that, “There is growing consensus in...
Paying for Utility Politics: How ratepayers are forced to fund the Edison Electric Institute and other political organizations
The Edison Electric Institute is an inherently political organization, and a powerful one. At $90 million, its budget is the highest it has been in over a decade – a budget...
The Utility Industry’s Influence at Universities
Universities and professors, funded by fossil fuel and utility special interests, are increasingly producing academic reports, supporting advocacy efforts, and amplifying positions that either recommend policies or provide credence to...
Attacks on Renewable Energy Policies in 2015
Front groups, fossil fuel interests, and utility companies attacked net metering and renewable energy standards in states across the country in 2015, in an effort to delay the growth of...
Utilities’ Anti-Solar Campaign and Misinformation Debunked
Utilities’ Anti-Solar Campaign and Misinformation Debunked Utility trade association Edison Electric Institute (EEI) launched a multi-year anti-solar campaign in 2012 to weaken net metering policies across the country, as reported by...
Wind Health Impacts Dismissed in Court
Wind health impacts have been dismissed in courts across the globe. This Energy and Policy Institute report assesses legal cases in five English-speaking countries pertaining to wind energy. The intent...