Tag: Utilities
Emergency broadband now
by Wade Rathke October 23, 2021 New Orleans One of the pandemic programs that may be cruising below the radar, but which could be a critical step on lowering the digital divide, is the FCC’s…
PG&E Charged With Manslaughter
11 Felony Counts— 2020 Zogg Fire “PG&E has a history with a repeated pattern of causing wildfires that is not getting better,” said Shasta County District Attorney Stephanie Bridgett. “It’s only getting worse.” by Brett Wilkens, Common…
Indian Point nuclear plant shutting down in New York
The Indian Point facility, notes one of its critics, was built “where a severe accident would jeopardize the health of millions of people and where no large-scale evacuation plan would be remotely feasible.” by Brett Wilkins,…
‘It’s like nobody cares’: After two weeks without running water, Jackson, Miss. pleads for help
“Water is a basic necessity and it just brought a lot of frustration, anger, and disappointment,” said one of the city’s residents. “If you don’t know when it’s coming back, what is being done to help…
Utility companies owe millions to California regulatory agency. The problem? The agency can’t track what it’s owed.
When a whistleblower alleged that $200 million was missing from the California Public Utilities Commission, the agency says it took steps to collect. Yet an audit uncovered more missing money and cited flaws in the agency’s…
She Noticed $200 Million Missing, Then She Was Fired
Alice Stebbins was hired to fix the finances of California’s powerful utility regulator. She was fired after finding $200 million for the state’s deaf, blind and poor residents was missing. by Scott Morris, Bay City News…
Millions of tenants ‘headed for absolute disaster’ after new year, owing average of nearly $6,000 in rent and utilities
“This is like a Charles Dickens novel. It’s an evolving story of how people at the bottom are suffering.” by Julia Conley, staff writer Tuesday, December 8 Without a coronavirus relief package centered on helping working…
Promise or peril? Importing hydropower to fuel clean energy transition
U.S. states hope to tap Canada’s network of large dams to meet low-carbon goals, but do better options exist closer to home? And what effects on the environment and indigenous peoples? by Tara Lohan — The…
Four types of scandals utility companies get into with money from your electric bills
When power companies across the country fight for favorable legislation, sometimes their efforts cross the line and customers pay the price. by Patrick Wilson, Richmond Times-Dispatch Saturday, October10 Across the country, electric utilities have worked the…
Inside the utility company lobbying blitz that will hike electric bills
Democrats who campaigned against Virginia’s largest public utility, Dominion Energy, swept into office. Then the company’s lobbying efforts kicked into high gear. Here’s how it fought against legislation meant to lower residents’ electric bills. by Patrick…
Justice groups say next coronavirus relief package must include moratorium on utility shutoffs
“It’s unconscionable that Senate Republicans chose to protect corporate America over families in the last rescue package.” by Julia Conley, staff writer With more than a quarter of Americans reporting lost income as a…
Cooperatives need to get broadband to the countryside
New Orleans How can I say this plainly? Electric cooperatives have become increasingly less cooperative, and, frankly, not even all that electric. What was a huge breakthrough in taking electricity the last mile into rural…
